Can I Say I Love You?
by EndlessParadoxx
Summary: Blake tries to deal with the demons that she has within, she finally realizes that pushing everybody out is not the best option and finally opens up to yang about her feelings. Sun has always been there for Blake,and has harbored feelings for her for a long time.But will his love for her be recognized and returned?
1. Chapter 1

Finally meeting her family in her old home was the only thing that ever mattered to her in this journey, but the past couple of days has led her to put her attention into more _pressing_ matters.

The warm summer air was ever present in the environment as she gazed upon the sights of the streets of menagerie.

She can feel the heat that comes with the rising sun that is ever looming above her, reminding her of the certain someone that she left behind that certainly shined brighter than what this giant star presented to her.

Blake observes the bustle of activity that is present among the small area of her hometown, merchants selling their products, children playing games, hardworking people trying to make a living in order to support their families.

She admires this scene as it feels like a breath of fresh air to her consciousness, she feels distracted from her thoughts keeping her from thinking about the events that transpired in the last couple of days.

The amber eyed girl closes her eyes and reminisces about the events that happened that lead to this time, this time in which she will have to make a decision, to fight back against the enemy with insurmountable odds stacked against her, or to simply wait and do nothing and risk the lives of countless innocent people and the people that she cared for the most.

Blake painfully remembers the time in which she realized that her past has finally caught up to her, and running from it will not change the fact that it will always come back to haunt her for the choices and mistakes that she has made in the past.

* * *

There is fire everywhere, I can smell the smoke that is surrounding the area as it fills my lungs and starts to painfully start choking me with the flame's smouldering hot fumes. I am standing on the ground which was once the cafeteria that was contained inside the mighty walls that I considered safe, the walls of beacon academy. But as I see them now, I realize that we were not ready for the burden that was placed into our shoulders, the burden of the war that we had to fight.

As I searched through the burning ruins of the destroyed cafeteria, amongst the panic and confusion, i see one of my most horrifying nightmares come into fruition, one of the nightmares that I force to keep buried amongst my deepest and most personal thoughts. I will never forget the moment, when my past has finally came back to bite me, the time where i would finally see the monster that I used to love, Adam.

"I see you're running once again, is that what you have become my love?".I shudder as I hear these words come out from his mouth. I ask

"Why are you doing this Adam? what do you hope to gain out of this destruction!?".He responds with:

"It seems that you have forgotten, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO LEAD A REVOLUTION! you and I side by side making a new world where we would stand at the top!"

"I wanted equality!"

"What you want is impossible!"

I watch him as he unsheathes his sword and traps a man under the mercy of his boot. Preparing to enact an execution that will plunge the Faunus and the humans to another century of war.

As he prepares his strike against the innocent soul beneath his heel, he mutters "And this will be the spark!"

Without hesitation I quickly ready my weapon and dash towards Adam, prepared to face the past that I was running from all these times determined to defeat him and put an end to this madness.

"I am not running away from you!"

"You will", Adam mutters as both of our blades clash fighting for dominance against the other.

Adam sends a kick coming from his right leg and catches me off guard, sending me tumbling across the side. As a Grimm is about to devour me and finally end my life, Adam quickly dispatches of it, preferring to savour the punishment and suffering that I am feeling right now.

"Why must you hurt me like this Blake?"

As I lay there, powerless to do anything to change the fate that has befallen me, I look around and notice the fiery blonde with the lilac eyes, desperately calling out for my name. Even amongst this madness, I can't help to notice her as she stands out among the chaos in our surroundings.

"I will destroy each and everyone that you love and you will be there to watch them, and you will be powerless to stop me"

Adam notices yang off in the distance as she still desperately utters my name, hoping to find me in this time of despair. I try to scream with every fibre of my being for her to run away and leave me behind, because deep in my mind no matter how i am sickened by it, I still believe that Adam is a man of his word. And he will do everything to hurt me for leaving him before.

"And I will start with her". As Adam states this he lightly plunges his sword into my abdomen, sending a thousand waves of pain throughout my body. Forcing me to inevitably scream and draw the attention of yang towards Adam.

With a fiery look in her eyes, she screams at the top of her lungs "LEAVE HER ALONE!".

But this is what Adam planned all along, she enticed yang into a trap in which she had no hope of escaping. And sadistically manipulating my beloved partner's emotions by using me as bait.

In a fiery burst of anger, yang is fully engulfed by the flames that have resulted from her semblance. With massive anger in her eyes manifesting with a change of color, turning her once pretty lilac eyes into a reflection of hatred and anger that can seer a person's soul.

Adam has absorbed the force of my futile attacks against him, and channelled it into his semblance that returns the brunt of his opponents attacks tenfold. He diligently sheathes his blade, patiently anticipating the careless attack that yang would throw against him.

I lay there, physically helpless to protect the woman that has been with me through thick and thin, the girl that has refused to give up on me when i forcefully pushed everyone away from me. My friend that bought out the best in me and made me experience true happiness that I would cherish with my new found family. I was about to witness the grim fate that was about to befall upon the girl that I treasured the most, Yang Xiao Long

In a flash of rage, yang readies ember celica and leaps furiously. Quickly covering the distance that was separating her from completely decimating the face of the opponent that was facing her. As she spins through the air and readies herself to deliver a devastating right hook. I see Adam unfazed and ready to fulfil his promise

I witness as Adam prepares the blow that will inevitably damage a member of the family that I have found among the halls of this academy. I witness as he inches his dominant foot forward and channel the pent up energy that he has built up with his semblance directly into his blade.

As yang comes inches to coming in contact with Adam, he finally twists to his left side and unleashes the brunt of his pent up energy, slashing towards the direction where yang was situated at. I watch in horror as a myriad of red and gray flooded my vision, and watch as yang falls to the ground, with her arm cut off due to the force of Adam's attack.

I quickly rush over to her and pick her up into my arms, as I know that Adam will not stop unless he takes the both of our lives. I use my semblance to quickly dash towards the shadow's, with yang in my shoulders, desperate to find help for the both of us.

As I reach the platform containing the rest of the surviving students, I collapse with yang on the floor, guilt overcoming my conscience as I realize that I was the reason on why yang suffered this horrible fate.

"I'm sorry yang". These are the last words that i muttered before running of once again, never leaving a trace for my friends to follow so that they may never feel the suffering that I might bring upon them.

* * *

Blake quickly snaps back from her daydreaming, still feeling the heat through every inch of her skin that was brought by the warm climate that was present in menagerie.

She thought to herself that wearing less clothing would help alleviate some of this discomfort, as her wardrobe was replaced with a top that slightly showed off more skin that she would like and covered by a long white jacket opposed from her previous clothing that was composed of a black dress that appropriately covered more skin that was more suitable for the environment in beacon academy.

But this lead to a couple of stares and glances from a couple of people and most certainly was not approved by his over protective father, Ghira belladonna.

The thought of her father reminded her that the day contained an important task to be done. A choice that she had to make.

To fight against massively unfavourable odds, or to wait for another inevitable disaster that could rival or surpass the fall of beacon.

"The time has come". Blake mutters to herself as she proceeds to her family's study, to talk with her father regarding the decision that will change the lives of not only herself, but the lives of countless other people who would be mixed in with the war that they don't even know is already taking place.

Blake slowly opens the door to the familiar site of their families study, the study that their family had in their possession was quite spacious, it had enough room to accompany a plethora of bookcases that showcased a surprisingly high amount of books.

The design of the room was also inviting much to her liking, it had many comfortable chairs that were comfy enough to sleep in, the study even contained a sofa which could fit her whole family even when they sit at it at once. The aura inside the room was quite relaxing as the space that it contained could make a person forget about their worries for a brief amount of time and the books contained within the varying amount of bookcases could keep a person occupied for a whole day, as they Wisk you away into different worlds that were bound within the ink that was contained in each unique book.

But no amount of relaxation and thoughts of reading which could cheer her up in almost any situation could alleviate the pressure that she was currently feeling in her chest, she was about to talk with her father regarding the recent happenings regarding the extremist Faunus group, claiming to want equality between the Faunus and humans, The white fang.

But Blake knows that deep inside, the white fang has turned into the thing that they were originally fighting against in the first place. The white fang is turning into the humans that they used to despise, using force in order to get what they want, and now fighting for dominance against the human race instead of the noble want for peace that they have once yearned for in the past.

She needed to win her father's favour, she needed him to let her get in contact with other hunters and huntresses to inform them about the white fang's plan to attack mistral in the following months.

As the idea of contacting other hunters crosses her mind, she fondly remembers the second family that she made during her time at beacon. The family that helped her get out of her comfort zone and truly learn the value of putting your life in to the hands of others because of the trust that each and everyone of you shared, and this family taught her that she had the strength to do the same. Oh how she misses her time with her team, her friends, her family, Team RWBY.

She reminisces fondly about the appearance and attitude of each and every one of the friends that she made in beacon.

She remembers the sight of a crimson cloaked brunette, the leader that she learned to love and respect despite her younger age and lack of maturity that came with it. But deep inside, she knew that this girl had a heart of gold that simply put the lives of others before her own and the strength in order to push through with her convictions. Although a lot of people see her as small child that was given special treatment, she knew this girl as Ruby Rose, her red-cloaked leader that would vanish in a flurry of rose petals and deliver an unsightly faith to any grimm that came face to face with her when she wielded her signature weapon, Crescent rose.

But if ruby was a bundle of joy and innocence rolled into a human person, she remembered the heiress that she despised for quite a time because of her bad attitude and thinking towards other people. This girl is Weiss schnee, the heiress to the schnee dust company which is one of the leading manufacturers of dust that is currently dominating the competition in the world of remnant.

She remembers the white haired girl, sporting her matching white dress and heels, arrogantly walking around and using her status as a way to establish that she is the best and that people would dream to swap places with her.

But as she spends more and more time with her, Blake realizes that Weiss's life is really not all about sunshine and rainbows, she eventually learns that despite of her constant boasting about her family name, Weiss truly despised her family and most importantly her father. Her childhood was spent preparing her to be a bargaining chip that her father would eventually use in order to further his goals to expand their family monopoly on the dust industry.

Blake learns to understand that Weiss and her aren't that different, they both shared a past that they wanted to renounce. And being with a team that genuinely cared for each and everyone of them helped bring out the more caring and kind side that the both of them didn't knew existed within the fibre's of their personality's.

But the last member of the team that Blake fondly remembers is her partner, the person that truly bought out the best in her, the person that she deeply cared about that gave her emotions of true happiness and pain whenever she reminisces of their time together and the fate that she has set upon her.

This girl was the fiery blonde that produced the light that would shine across the deepest parts of herself. The girl that would brighten up her day and would refuse to leave her alone even when she used harsh words in order to forcefully push her away. This girl was Yang Xiao Long.

She could describe the blonde for countless hours as she would remember every characteristic that this girl has ever possessed. The beautiful mane of blonde hair that she refused to cut no matter what the consequences and even received harsh scolding's because of the sheer amount of space that it would occupy. The way on how she nurtures it like a tiny infant of her own, delicately washing it and giving it the love that it needed to be maintained.

She would remember that she often felt hot and bothered whenever she saw yang's body in full display. She would often admire the curves that the blonde had in her disposal, often getting glimpses of the slender waist that the blonde maintained and the slightly over-exposed chest that she would accidentally stare at from time to time. She didn't know if the blonde caught her in her acts of guilty pleasure but she would sometimes see yang blink at her in a flirty way whenever she stared at her for a prolonged period, often making her blush when she snaps back from her trance.

But Blake did not value the looks of yang over what she truly admired within her partner, what she loved the most about yang is that inside her rowdy and fun loving personality, she was a person that valued each and everyone of her close friends and loved ones as an object that she needed to protect, this attitude would even go to the lengths of taking the hits that were meant for her allies and use it in order to fight the threats that loomed around them, clearly reflected by her semblance to take damage and use it for her own valiant purpose.

And this is what makes Blake hurt the most when she remembers yang, despite the happiness and warmth that she feels whenever she thinks about her partner, feelings of pain and guilt would always overrun her as she remembers the awful fate that she has given her. The fate of losing a physical part of her just because she risked everything during the fall in order to protect Blake from the past that she kept running from and the secret that she hid from the rest of her team.

As she feels the familiar feeling of grief and sadness overflow her once again for thinking about her old partner, she stands up from the comfy sofa that she was once sitting on in order to address the big, muscular man that had opened the door, producing a long squeaking sound that alerted Blake of his presence.

This was her father, Ghira belladonna. A man filled with honor and respect for the people that are around him regardless of his status as the chief of menagerie. He was an old man that wore a violet colored jacket that was enough to cover the large amount of body mass that was contained above his waist. But also contained an opening that showed off all of the years that he had spent working hard as it displayed his proud chest in full glory, present for everyone in the vicinity to see.

This made Blake chuckle a bit as she laughs subconsciously about the ridiculousness and impracticality of showing ones chest of like that, but she also remembered the bare chested monkey boy that she bought into her home that made her snap back into reality as she remembers that she almost lost another friend the night before.

"Good morning, Blake"

"Good morning to you too dad"

The two exchange pleasantries before the older man sits on the chair across the sofa that Blake was sitting on. A small table made of mahogany separated the two but still maintained the distance that the two needed in order to share an important conversation.

"Dad, I need to ask you about something"

"Let me guess, it's about the white fang ?"

Blake was slightly surprised about the revelation that her father was already onto her about her plans regarding the white fang. But it didn't completely catch her off guard as her father already knew about the encounter that she and sun experienced with one of her former associates the night before.

"Please hear me out, let me contact the active hunters and huntresses regarding the plans of the white fang to attack mistral"

"You do know that you would need to travel to mistral in order to contact the concerned people right? and you know that you're mother and I are concerned about the fact that our daughter will travel a long and treacherous journey that can cost you your life."

"I was trained for this type of work dad, when will you realize that I'm ready to fulfil my duties as a huntress!?"

"I know that you are ready Blake, I realized that a long time ago when you decided to choose your own path, to join the white fang at a young age because you believed that it was a cause worth fighting for."

"I knew that you were ready the moment that I saw you in our front door just recently, I saw in your eyes that you were ready to make a difference and fight for your own values. I saw that you had the courage to fulfil your duties and goals when you chose to return to us, not knowing what we would think of you since you left us."

Hearing this, Blake's eyes start to water up, as she is deeply touched by the speech that her father had delivered to her. These words were genuine thoughts of care and pride that he wanted to express to Blake because he believed that her daughter was already grown up and is proud of the woman that she came to be.

"The reason on why I am so hesitant to allow you in this mission is because... "

"I am the one who is not ready."

Blake tilts her head in confusion as she hears what her father had just said. Not understanding what he meant by this until he continues his words.

"I am not ready to see my little Blake to grow up and finally posses the ability to stand on her own feet, I am not ready to see that you don't need us anymore in order to make your own decisions and live the life that you have always wanted"

After hearing this, Blake immediately rushes over to her father's side and gives him a heartfelt hug as tears run down her face.

"You don't understand!, I still need you in my life, that's why I am determined to do this on my own. I would never forgive myself if anything happened to you if I ever be the cause that leads to your demise".

Blake continues "I would rather take my life a thousand times rather than see both you and mom suffer a terrible fate just because of my mistakes"

Ghira takes the full blunt of her daughter's words and lovingly comforts her and reassures her that they can help her better if she would just let them help her in her journey.

But Blake profiously declines his offer, once again remembering the terrible promise that Adam would fulfil at any cost. Knowing this, she decides to do what she does best, to push everyone that she loves out in order to convince herself that this is for the best.

"Dad, you know that I can't let you come with me right?"

"But why not? you will definitely be safer when you have me and your mother by your side right?"

"YOU DONT UNDERSTAND!"

In a flash of anger, Blake uncontrollably screams at her father, unable to tell him about the fact that Adam has put a mark on them that would cost their lives if they came closer to her. She couldn't tell her parents of the terrible situation that she was currently stuck in. No matter how much she hated being alone, she needed to be strong and face the sadness of solitude in order to keep the ones that she loved safe.

"You will only be hurt when you come with me to mistral, the world has changed ever since the fall of beacon. It has become more dangerous and our enemies are lurking at every corner, whether it be the Grimm or the white fang".

"But Blake"

"I'm sorry but this is what I have decided for myself right now. You said it yourself i am ready to fight for myself and I am brave enough to face the consequences of my actions".

And with that, Blake quickly ends the conversation and storms out of the room. Relieved that her father has assured her that she is capable of doing this mission but also guilty, for once again pushing out one of the people that she held dearly in her heart.

" _This is for the best_ ". she told herself.

Blake decided to get some fresh air outside the balcony of their home. It was already getting late and the sun was about to set in the distance. She admires the view as she wonders on why the sun would always be beautiful even when it starts to slumber and momentarily leave the world at the hands of the shattered moon that loomed over the night sky.

"So what's got you down kitty cat?"

Speaking of the sun, she notices that her blonde friend was hanging from one of the trees surrounding their household. She notices the blonde man sporting his white shirt with the buttons undone as usual, almost mirroring the look that her father also regularly sported.

Blake did not have many friends, and she certainly did not try hard to make any. But sun was one of the people who entered her life that utterly turned her life upside down and made it a little bit brighter than what it used to be. Blake could describe sun as her polar opposite. Always active and does not run out of energy, loud with his words, and more expressive than what Blake would ever be.

But despite these differences, the two of them would often fill the gaps of what the other lacked. When Blake needed to relax and have some fun, sun would always be there, prepared to do the best that he can in order to bring out the more laid back and fun loving side that Blake would usually hide.

While Blake is there for sun when he needed to be more logical about his thinking. Blake would often be there in order to enlighten sun about the things that are happening around them. Whether it be the current news that is happening around the world of remnant or small things like how sun would unconsciously try to look for bananas when he was hungry.

Despite her lack of vocal praise with sun, Blake was truly thankful that sun was there to follow her throughout all this time. She was thankful for him that he even abandoned his own team just to accompany Blake through her journey to menagerie.

" _Well without him, this would be an awfully boring journey_ ". Blake thinks to herself as sun uses his tail that he used to hang from the branch that he hanged from and swung using it in order to launch himself in to the balcony where Blake was situated at.

As sun leans next to her on the railings of the balcony, he can't help but notice that Blake was looking beautiful as the sunset reflects on to her pristine eyes, and the light coming from it magnifying the beautiful features that the boy adored gazing at whenever he had the chance.

But sun can't help but notice that Blake was looking distraught, as she blankly stares at the impending sunset that was occurring in front of their gazes.

"So you look a bit down? they run out of fish in the market?".

Sun jokingly remarks as he knew that Blake had an obsession when it came to eating fish, obviously coming from her Faunus heritage.

"Do you think that I am a bad person. You know, for pushing everybody out?". Blake asks

"Well making friends is not really your strong suit, but I wouldn't really call you a bad person".

Blake looks at sun with a swollen look in her eyes, desperately looking for a small sign of assurance that leaving her parents in the dark was the best course of action that she could take. In the end, she just wanted to keep them safe and if this is the only way to do it, then she would gladly run away once again not considering the sadness and longing that they would feel if she once again ran without leaving a trace.

"Look Blake, I don't exactly approve of you once again trying to be all emo like trying to be alone and stuff, but I know that you don't like the situation that you are in right now. I know that you hate being alone but in your head this is the only way to keep the people that you love safe."

Blake just looks at her blonde friend, trying to understand and rationalize the advice that he is trying to give to her.

"But despite your way of thinking, I still believe that you got the best of intentions for the people around you. I can say that you trying to isolate yourself is just a reflex coming from what your life was before, you can even call it a little phobia of yours. And I believe that like all phobia's, you can outgrow them with just a little push from your friends and family. And always remember that whenever you need that small little push to get over your fear, I will always be here for you."

Blake looks at sun perplexed and confused, despite her friend's goofy and outgoing personality, he often gives the best advice whenever she needed it the most. She always remembers sun to be one of her most loyal and closest friends going as far back to the start of the Vytal Festival.

At first, she was annoyed at sun for stalking her for a HUGE amount of time without her even knowing until recently when they fought the giant sea Grimm that attacked their boat along the way. Blake did not like the fact that sun followed her all this way without her even allowing him to come wither her in the first place.

But eventually, she learned to appreciate the blonde boy's presence as he is a constant reminder that people can still be cheerful and carefree despite times of great trouble and conflict, as she has never seen the boy frown in sadness and would always sport a smile on his face that could be considered contagious as she would often smile when in the presence of sun. The same thing could be said about her mother who is actually quite fond with sun accompanying Blake throughout her journey, and from time to time would hint about their relationship together as being more than just _friends._

Her father on the other hand, is not quite fond of having sun in their household especially because of the reason that he was a boy and often becomes overprotective when it comes to their relationship saying that "I will not let some immature and boneheaded boy get close to my sweet little darling".

But despite her parent's opinions of sun, the fact will not change that Blake regards sun as a very close friend and appreciates him for being there for her especially in times like this. Times like this when she needed a shoulder to lean on and ask for comforting words. And sun often did an excellent job of doing this task as he always knew the words to make her feel comforted and loved.

In a quick flash, Blake hugs sun with a smile as a sign of gratitude showing her thanks to the blonde boy for comforting her and for being there despite her cold attitude towards him sometimes.

"Thank you sun, I really appreciate you being here for me"

"Don't mention it kitty cat, after all what are friends for?".

Sun mutters under his breath while trying to shake off the fiery blush that was now apparent on his face due to the sign of affection that he would rarely see and undoubtedly experience coming from the girl that he had deeper feelings despite her lack of knowledge of them.

Sun admired Blake from the current position that they were sharing. Admiring the smooth sea of black hair that was running across her back. The way that he felt the warmth of her body connecting with his own, almost giving him the feelings of euphoria as he gladly enjoys the scarce privilege of being close to the girl that made him fall in love for the first time.

But his feelings of joy quickly run out to the backdoor as Blake quickly pulls out from the hug and heads inside of the house, with the sun already down Blake waves at sun and properly bids him goodnight.

"Goodnight sun, thanks for... everything".

"Don't mention it Blake, now have some rest, we have a couple of big days ahead of us".

And with that, Blake decides to turn in for the night and heads over to her room in order to get a good nights sleep, so she would have the energy to fight the past that conflicted her every single day that she lived and breathed.

As she enters her room, she quickly removes the large white coat that is enveloping her body and quickly undresses and changes over to the comfortable nightgown that she was always delighted to wear as they offer a level of comfort that is more suitable when lying down on her bed and try to drift away on to her consciousness and fall asleep.

But as she plops down on her bed and gaze at the shattered moon that was laying steadily outside of her window. The moonlight that was shining through her window revealed a small little letter perched at the side of her windowsill.

Confused and curious, she picks up the piece of paper and examines the contents that were bound within the letter in ink, the letter read

"I can offer you a way out, a way out where we will both be happy and where precious blood that you value the most will not be shed. Meet me in the wastelands when you feel that the time is right. I will be waiting... My love".

As Blake receives the dawning realization of what this letter implied, she tosses and turns as she encounters a new problem that she would inevitably face once again and another decision that she had to make that weighed a ton in her shoulders. Would she go to the place where Adam had stated in the letter alone, or would she tell her parents and sun about the letter and risk the lives of the people that she valued the most.

" _I will destroy each and everyone that you love and you will be there to watch them, and you will be powerless to stop me_ ".

These words echo throughout her mind for the rest of the night, worrying her to death about the fate that she had bestowed upon her loved ones. And what made it worse is the fact that she would have to face this problem alone once again for her fear of losing someone dear to her again was too great of a risk rather than receiving help from the people that she wanted to protect.

She goes to sleep, conflicted as she once again is forced to shut everybody out in order to fulfil the task at hand. No matter how much she wanted to tell her parents about this, no matter how much she wants to tell sun, she just couldn't bear the thought of being the reason on why their once happy lives will be put to an end just because of Adam's determination to get her back.

Blake finally gives in to her need to sleep, her last thoughts being the idea that she would have to face the demons that she had contained within her, and the thought of facing it alone frightened her even more.

But at least that's what she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note:**

 **So I am just going to leave this note here since I didn't put one on the first chapter but this is my first fanfic that I have ever written so almost every factor that is in this story will probably be rough on the edges. I would really like to get some reviews so that I may be able to write this story better since it is growing on me and I'm determined to make this a good, meaty blacksun fanfic. So with that in mind enjoy the fic!**

* * *

Even with the unbuttoned shirt that he was wearing, sun was still bothered about the constant heat that was surrounding him at this moment. He was at the spacious backyard that was within the property of the belladonna household. Training was the first thing that popped to his mind when he woke up this morning. This can be attributed to the fact that he was almost killed a couple of nights before when he and Blake had an encounter with one of Blake's subordinates that she met during her time with the White Fang.

Sun constantly pitied himself since that incident happened because he felt helpless about his abilities, even though he was a competent fighter he was caught off-guard by that fatal strike and almost caught an untimely death if Blake wasn't there for him.

These thoughts flashed in his mind with every swing that he made with his staff. He was practicing the many sequences of attacks that he was acquainted with and polished them with a varying degree of success.

As he spun around, vertically swinging his staff and using the leverage to deliver strikes that would cause ripples in the air, Blake's mom, Kali belladonna just watches there. Intently watching near the opening that connects the backyard to the house. She quickly notices that Sun looked different from his usual self. She noticed that Sun looked frustrated and she knew the boy well enough to know that this wasn't the usual look that he would wear especially during the early hours of the morning in which he looked the happiest.

She looks at Sun, concerned about him. She certainly knew that something was bothering Sun and she felt obligated to help him since he was one of Blake's friends and Kali believed that she needed to bond with the boy that was _clearly_ interested in her daughter.

"So, how's the training going?"

Sun quickly recognizes the cheery voice that was calling for him and quickly glanced over to the porch where the sweet voice came from. He immediately noticed the mature cat-eared woman that was leaning in the doorframe gazing at him. Sun saw Kali in her usual dress that ran all the way to her feet with her right arm being covered by a big sleeve that had some space for her hand.

Sun was always curious about the relationship between Blake and her parents. He always wondered where Blake inherited her attitude and was even more intrigued when he met the both of them. Her father was a very stern and open man and was never afraid to back away from a challenge.

While Blake's mother was a wise woman and was not afraid to show care and kindness to the people around her even though she didn't have any close connections to them as experienced by Sun.

At first, this confused Sun as these were traits that she barely exhumed much less show in a day to day basis. But as he spends more and more time with Blake's family, sun realizes that Blake has these traits stored deep within her. She might not wear these traits as much as her parents do but sun sees flashes of them when Blake becomes relaxed and stress free.

This made Sun more determined to get closer to Blake, because he wants to see the more hidden side of Blake, the side that shows courage in times of need and care to those around her. And Sun knew that he just needs to be there for her so that she can be comfortable enough to release these pent up emotions that she has been harbouring for quite a long time.

Sun quickly wipes off the sweat that is trickling from his face and quickly responds.

"Good morning Mrs. B!. Didn't expect you to be up this early"

"Well you seemed to be worked up, something bothering you lately?"

"You know, I just decided to get some rounds in, I'm not exactly the in tip top shape right now"

"Well, do you prefer just hitting random air or would you like a _real_ challenge"

Kali says this with a hint of mischief and with a smirk on her mouth. Curious, Sun inquires about the challenge that was presented to him.

"What do you mean by a _real_ challenge?"

"Well, if it's okay with you I'm offering you a little sparring match. That should be a bit more interesting than just swinging that large pole of yours around"

"Well I accept!. Just don't expect me to take it easy on you just because your Blake's mom".

Still keeping the smirk on her mouth, Kali sharpens her gaze on Sun and quickly establishes that she is not someone that you should take lightly.

"Don't worry, you won't need to take it easy on me"

And with that, she quickly runs off with a smile on her face and runs over to fetch something from the room that she and Ghira shared.

Intently waiting for her arrival, Sun sits on one of the large boulders that were scattered in the large backyard, intently holding his staff upright. He marvelled at the sight which was the belladonna's backyard as it was very spacious and designed according to the taste of their family.

The backyard was mainly made up of sand with large decorative designs etched onto the ground. It depicted giant ships and magical creatures with intricate designs and showed scenes of celebrations and fierce battles with a large variety.

Bonsai trees surround the perimeter of the backyard as the border of the rectangular shaped plot of land contained fertile soil within them and provided sufficient nutrition to these plants and served as a design supplement to the already beautiful landscape that enveloped the spacious backyard.

A couple of minutes pass and Kali finally arrives and much to Sun's surprise, she was carrying a large ornate box that was outfitted with golden trimmings on the side and a irregularly shaped lock that possessed the shape of a diamond opposed to regular locks.

Seeing this, Sun immediately understands that something of precious value was inside. And he was certainly embarrassed by the fact that Kali has is about to use something of large value to her just to accompany Sun on his training session.

"Look mama B, you don't have to spar with me. I wouldn't want you to ruin what's inside that just because you feel like something's bothering me"

"So, something is bothering you isn't it?. Well that gives me more of a reason to show my favourite pair of goodies".

Kali quickly reaches over the key that is hanging over her neck and excitedly opens up the lock that was keeping the ornate box sealed.

While this is happening, Sun just watches there intently. Quickly wondering what was inside the box that was clearly of great value and why they were kept there.

" _Perhaps it some special earrings, or you know a tiara or something pretty_ "

" _Or it could be... No, it can't be_ "

In a quick instant, Kali rushes over to Sun and shows him the contents of the box that she bought with her and it is finally revealed why kali bought the box down for their apparent sparring match.

Sun marvels at the beauty of the pair of gauntlets that lay before him. Both gauntlets possessed a set of three claws made out of jade attached to the base of the gauntlets in a retracted position. The material that was used in order to construct the gauntlet was a combination of different metals that were melded together in order to produce a sturdy exterior but also weighed a lot lighter to the wielder.

Gold trimmings also adorned each gauntlet and etchings of tigers and lions adorned the gold that enveloped the base of the gauntlet. But what intrigued Sun the most is the intricate designs that were masterfully engraved in the jade claws that were contained in each gauntlet.

The intricate designs were mostly composed of different depiction and iterations of ancient creatures and tigers, clearly showing that Kali had an interesting connection with the animal. Each creature that was etched into the glistening and sharp blades almost looked intertwined with each other. Resembling a community and a family that was deeply rooted to each other and mimicked the bond that Kali and her family shared with each other.

"Well, I can't say that I am not completely and utterly jealous about these beautiful weapons of yours but are you really sure that you would want to use them right now?. I mean they are cool and all but I don't want to see them battered and all used up because of me".

"Sun, what are weapons for if you can't use them when you want to. And besides, I really need some exercise myself and I think beating you will be a great way to stay in shape."

Kali says that with a twinkle in her eye and definitely playing around with Sun, trying to entice him to _spill the beans_ and not hide the fact that something is bothering him during this time.

"Hey, hey, hey hold up just a second. Haven't I told you that I'm not going easy on you?"

"And haven't I told you that you won't need to?"

"Well ,shall we begin?"

"We shall!"

And with that, Kali quickly removes the jade claws that she has stored in her precious chest and hastily attaches the leather straps that were bound to it and wears them in her arms.

Sun excitingly runs over to the other side of the backyard in order to give some space between him and Kali. He readies his staff and places it in his right arm. Placing his left hand forward in a defensive position and keep his right hand close to his back, assuming the standard position that he always sported during the start of a duel.

Kali finishes up on wearing her claws and quickly sprints to the side the opposite of Sun and prepares for the duel that is about to ensue. Kali leans in forward and positions her arms close to her face in an almost predatory manner, like a tiger readying to leap on to her prey and rip the flesh that was standing right in front of her in order to reap the rewards of the hunt.

This scares Sun a little as he has never seen this side of Kali before. At first glance Kali looked like a woman that didn't possess a single hair of violence within her and would never think of her as the fighting type.

But as Sun looked at her from across the space that was separating the two of them, Kali wore a look of absolute determination and aura of complete excitement as he saw the smile and feeling of anticipation that Kali was currently exhuming in the surroundings around them.

He can now feel the full fury of the sun that looming above their heads, he could feel the scorching heat that was surrounding every fibre of his skin at it produced an uncomfortable burning sensation around his body. Sun definitely thought that the heat has increased and intensified even more than what it was earlier this morning as he realized that an hour has almost passed since he started training.

They both finally encircle each other and both of them can feel a slight breeze brushing off their faces. Not alleviating the adrenaline that was coursing through their veins as each one is anticipating the other to make the first move.

Moments pass and none of them make a move, Sun and Kali are still encircling each other and are both locked in a trance that can only be broken when one of them decides to deal the first strike of the match.

Sun intently watches Kali's eyes, trying to figure out when she will finally make the decision to strike first. As he gazes upon the golden eyes that were located in front him, he notices that the breeze of wind that was blowing around them has knocked a few leaves out of the perches that they were nestling upon in the tree's that surrounded the household.

Sun notices that the leaves were being reflected in Kali's eyes, almost mimicking a mirror that was reflecting the image that was presented before it. Sun watches intently as the leaves slowly and inevitably fall down to the ground.

And as soon as a single leaf hits the ground. In tandem with it Kali quickly leans forward and sprints with her claws ready to make a thrusting motion and decides to finally break the stalemate that was happening between her and Sun.

Sun is caught off guard by this and is now face to face with Kali, their weapons quickly clashing together producing a clink sound and are both ready to be wielded as their master's see fit.

"I told you that you wouldn't have to take it easy, but that doesn't mean that I won't try to beat you up"

And with that, kali quickly breaks the clash that they were both entrapped in and starts to go on the offensive. She quickly turns up on the aggression and starts to do lightning quick stabs forcing Sun to go on the defensive.

Sun is taken aback on what he is witnessing right in front of him, the woman that he thought was kind hearted in and out was actually a pretty vicious fighter with an aggressive fighting style.

Kali was quickly gaining the advantage throughout the fight as she batters Sun with a plethora of quick swipes and jabs that made little openings to be exposed therefore giving Sun a hard time to land attacks of his own. But Sun possessed a very large defensive arc because of the fact that he was using his gunstaff. Whenever Kali would go for a jab, he would swing his staff in a circular motion according to the direction of Kali's jab in order to put her off balance and stave off the barrage of attacks that was being presented to him right now.

But Kali knew that her attack patterns would be adapted to easily as she was confident in Sun's abilities, so she quickly goes for a right jab then a swipe from her left claw and then quickly goes for a sweeping kick mix-up in order to vary her attacks.

This proved to be effective as Sun gets caught by the sweeping kick despite him blocking the previous two claw attacks and falls flat behind his back.

In this moment of vulnerability, Kali decides to try and finish the fight and leaps over to where Sun was laying at and tries to plunge her two claws directly into Sun, knowing that his aura was strong enough to take the force of the two claws that were about to penetrate him.

But Sun was determined to win this fight and was definitely not about to lose only a few seconds since the fight has started, he quickly rolls over to his left and narrowly dodges the plunging attack that almost struck him and used his body in order to propel himself into one of the big boulders that were scattered around their surroundings.

Sun quickly balances himself in to his staff and sits on top of it, using all of his concentration in order to keep his body balanced and prevent himself from falling off of the boulder where his staff is standing on at the moment.

But Kali did not waste any moment and immediately recuperated from her failed attempt to finish the battle and once again goes in to the offensive.

She starts to swipe on the carefully balanced staff that sun was sitting on in order to demount him from his current position, but Sun quickly uses this to his advantage and does not prevent the staff from losing its balance. Instead, he quickly lands on top of the boulder and positions himself and spins around using his legs to deliver a couple of well deserved blows to the fierce opponent that he was facing. Knocking Kali back a few meters giving Sun some room to reposition himself.

Sun now readjusts himself and once again and stands on his own two feet, finally prepared to kick it up a notch and go for the offensive for the first-time in their sparring match.

Sun is now feeling the full force of the adrenaline that is being pumped into his bloodstream in this very moment. He is feeling the high of the battle that is currently developing right in front of him and this very feeling is quickly alleviating his stress from earlier. Sun can't do anything but describe this feeling as being freed from a ball and chain that was attached to his feet for the past couple of days.

The blonde haired boy finally realizes the true intention of Kali in challenging him in this sparring match, Sun knew her well enough to know that this woman could read anyone like a book. And he guessed that his thoughts of doubt and uncertainty were clearly being displayed on his face earlier and no matter how subtle they were, Kali took quick notice of them and decided to do something about it.

Sun appreciates this gesture and quickly gives Kali a reassuring smile, sending her a notion of gratitude because of her intentions to make Sun feel a bit better.

Kali quickly notices this and also gives sun a big smile of her own, the two shared a moment of laughter as both of them take in the fun that they were currently having and are both surprised in the fighting prowess that the both of them are showing off in this very moment.

Sun was completely astounded with the fighting style that Kali fielded in their match, he took notice of the animalistic swipes that Kali was doing and was often challenged in maintaining his guard as they were often lightning fast and not a second passes where another attack is being launched against him once again. Sun was also impressed about the variety of attacks that she had in her disposal, as he was caught off guard by the mix-up that kali used in order to knock him down into the ground.

While on the other hand, Kali was amazed on how Sun was keeping up with her. Despite what others think about her, Kali was actually a pretty formidable foe in the battlefield. She had massive amounts of experience in the field and actually won a handful tournaments back in the day and often received praise with the amount of titles that she won through these competitions.

Kali was impressed on the amount of thought that Sun has poured into each and every one of his actions and has never wasted any single movement. He instead maximized every inch that his body used in order to block the incoming attacks that she threw at him. She admired the excellent footwork that Sun utilized to his advantage and moved his feet in tandem to the side where he would place his guard in order to maintain his balance and make Kali recoil a little bit from the feedback of her attacks.

Kali quickly remarks.

"I see that you're finally cheering up, I prefer you with a smile on your face rather than the brooding look that you had earlier"

"Well all of it is thanks to you Mrs. B, I honestly didn't expect to have this much fun with our sparring match. But call me a little bit surprised on seeing how aggressive you really are"

"What can I say, being on the defensive isn't really my type of game"

"Now that you mention it, now it's my time to bring in some pain"

"I'd like to see you try!"

Sun, with a hint of determination in his eye quickly readies himself in order to deliver the final string of attacks that he needed in order to finish the match that the two were currently enveloped him.

With a smile on his face, Sun quickly runs over to Kali in order to finally put the pressure on her for the first time in this match.

But Kali was not prepared for what she was about to experience, she was about to experience Sun's full mastery of his weapon and no amount of anticipation could prepare her for the devastating chain of attacks that would lay waste on her attempts to block.

Only a few meters before coming in contact with Kali, Sun quickly slams his staff from an overhead position in order to force Kali to switch her guard to an upward stance.

Not having the physical strength to block the overhead slam that was coming from Sun, Kali diverts both of her jade claws and fully commits to the overhead block that she needed in order to withstand the brunt of Sun's attack.

But this was all according to Sun's plan as he quickly uses the recoil from his attack in order to transition into attacking the vulnerable sides that Kali made for over committing to that overhead block. He quickly swings his staff into a propeller like motion in order to attack the currently exposed left side that Kali had in the open.

But Kali was not to be underestimated as she quickly changes the direction of her guard to her left side in order to prevent Sun from hitting her in that direction. But doing this proved to be more favourable to Sun as because of her committing to that overhead block, she changed her guard to late and because of that she could not adjust her claws and feet properly in order to block Sun's attacks while also maintaining her balance.

And because of this she was forced to backpedal and stumble for a bit as she could not properly guard against the chain of attacks that she was currently being punished with by Sun.

Sun was completely dominating at this point in the match, he never let go of the pressure that he currently possessed and forced Kali to exhaustion as he attacked from almost every side in order to completely deplete the remaining stamina that the woman still had in her body.

Deciding that this was his chance, Sun quickly goes for a final staff mix-up in order to finally make Kali concede and mimic the earlier embarrassment that he experienced when he fell flat on his back.

Sun went for a string of thrusting attacks that constantly changed directions from left to right, but now he utilized the shotgun tip that was incorporated in the gunstaff and started to fire them whenever the staff would come in to contact with Kali.

The shotgun blasts in tandem with the impact that was coming from Sun's gunstaff made all of Kali's attempts to block almost futile. Her physical strength could not withstand the fierce shotgun fire that was erupting in synch with the cracking force that the staff delivered.

Kali's defence finally starts to falter and now shows signs of vulnerability. Upon seeing this, Sun swings his staff towards Kali's left side. Kali quickly reacts to this expecting it to be a part of Sun's continuing onslaught. But inches before coming in contact with Kali, Sun quickly changes his momentum and switches the side of his attack to Kali's right side.

Kali did not see this coming and finally gets hit by Sun's staff. Her aura shields her from the massive physical damage that she might have concurred since she was hit by the combined force of a high calibre firearm and the blunt side of a staff that probably weighed a couple pounds.

Nonetheless, she still felt the pain that came with this attack albeit minimized because of her aura taking the punishment that was meant for her.

Dazed by the attack that Sun managed to hit her with. Kali stumbles backwards, and tries to regain her balance little to no avail.

And seeing this, Sun decides to add insult to injury by going for the same type of sweeping kick that Kali managed to throw at him earlier and made Kali lose her balance.

But moments before Kali would supposedly hit the ground, Sun sprints towards her in an effort to catch her before she falls flat on the ground, making sure that Kali was not hurt anymore than what she is currently feeling as he knows that she felt the force that came with the attack that he managed to connect to her right abdomen.

Sun managed to catch Kali using his right hand and holds her waist in an effort to stop her from falling. They both share an awkward position as sun is hovering above her while Kali is face to face with the wall of abs that Sun constantly maintained with hard work and constant training.

"Well you're quite a gentleman aren't you"

"I couldn't let you fall you know that right? Blake would kill me if she learned that I made you fall flat on your back. And besides, you're husband would probably kill me too if he learned that I knocked you down like that"

"Speaking of Ghira..."

As fate would have it, the two quickly avert their gazes towards the behemoth of a man that was currently staring at sun with an obvious look of irritation and anger.

" **SUN WUKONG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY WIFE?!** "

"NOTHING SIR, I JUST CAUGHT HER WHEN SHE ALMOST FELL TO THE GROUND AN I UH.. UH."

Kali quickly interjects and decides to play around with the two men that were currently about to fight if she would not intervene.

"You want to know the truth? Sun was about to kiss me because Iasked him to"

Kali said this with a seductive look on her eye, obviously trying to get a rise out of her husband and scare the living hell out of Sun who was still holding her at that awkward position.

" **WHY YOU LITTLE! SH.**."

"Relax dear, relax. Sun and I just decided to have a little sparring match in order to exercise. We were at that awkward position because surprisingly, Sun was able to beat me and I would have fallen to the ground if he had not caught me.

This quickly made the murderous look on Ghira's face disappear as he realizes that Kali was once again playing a prank on him and quickly returns to his calm self.

"You know that you shouldn't say things like that Kali. I would have almost killed Sun right on the spot if that were actually true".

Sun shivers at the thought of him being killed by Blake's father. Sun had spent enough time with him to know that he was not amused by Sun's antics and that he was not particularly fond with Sun's presence in _HIS_ house hold. And he knew that Ghira would make do on his threats to kill him if a valid enough reason was presented to him.

"Now come inside Kali, you must be exhausted after exerting that much energy in a sparring fight".

"Actually, I would like some time alone with Sun. We have _important_ matters to discuss".

"Well if you're done with your conversation, quickly come inside. I wouldn't want you to get sick with all that sweat that you have".

"Thanks dear, we'll come in as soon as we are done with our little talk"

And with Kali's request for privacy, Ghira quickly enters the mansion and wonders about the events that just occurred .

He was certainly curious about the talk that the two were about to have But despite his curiosity, he was a man of honor and would respect the privacy that was requested by her spouse.

But one thing certainly bothered Ghira while he was making his way towards the study. He realized that the two were sharing that position because Kali decisively lost during her sparring match with Sun.

This really made Ghira's imagination run wild. He thought of many mishaps or possibilities on how Sun was able to beat one the most renowned fighter in all of menagerie only second to him. This perplexed him even more as he knew that Kali never took it easy even on sparring matches as this went against her moral code.

And in almost every sparring match that they had, he and Kali would often just decide on most of their fights as being ties as they were almost equally matched.

" _It must have been luck right? Yes, pure dumb luck. That is the only way that he could have beaten Kali in a face to face match...Right?"_

After their apparent sparring match, the two quickly decided to rest a bit and decided to sit on the porch that was situated in the backyard. It contained two chairs that were made out of smooth wood and a bench that was suspended in the air by the two chains that were attached to it from end to end.

Kali and Sun decided to sit on the steps that were laid down on the porch in order to share some more space between them for the conversation that they were about to have.

The sun had already mellowed quite a bit from the previous state that it presented during the two fighters sparring match. Its light was angled in such a way that a cool shade enveloped them both and helped alleviate the fatigue that they had and cool off from the familiar hot air that would always be present throughout the day.

The atmosphere around them proved to be cooperative and seemed to be quiet all around, with only the sound of rustling leaves and the occasional gust of wind that would blow through their faces. Giving the two of them a cooler sensation that they were both glad were present.

And with that in mind, Kali finally talks with Sun about what was bothering him earlier this morning.

"So, are you finally willing to tell me what was bothering you earlier this morning?"

"Since you asked for it, there's no need for me to hide and it only seems fair to let you in a little bit of what's troubling me."

Kali, now showing a look of concern in her face. Tries to listen intently to what Sun is about to say and decides to do the best that she can in order to comfort the boy.

"The last time that I talked to Blake, she seemed a little bit more detached from her usual self. I'm not saying that I haven't seen her like this before, I definitely have during our time in beacon. But something tells me that something is different right now."

"Go on"

"I'm worried that she will revert back to her older self again. You know, pushing everybody out just because she thinks that it's for our safety. I thought that she would have learned something after the things that I told her but I know that she would push through with what she thinks is best for everyone, not even considering the emotions that we would feel for her doing that."

"The reason on why I decided to train earlier was because I am still bothered with the fact that I was almost killed a couple of nights ago. I am disappointed in myself for not being strong enough to protect myself and more importantly to protect Blake. And because of the fact that she knew that girl, she probably thinks that she was once again the reason for a bad thing like that happening"

Kali now intensely watches Sun, anticipating the sudden burst of emotion that was about to come from the boy that is now clearly distraught.

"I want to be stronger from now on. I want to be there for Blake whenever she needs someone to lean on. I want to be a reason for her to become more confident on the people around her and not be a reason for her to further seclude herself from the people that she loves"

"Because in the end, none of the physical pain that anyone could lay upon me matters in the end. Wounds can heal, I know from experience. But what hurts me the most is the fact that I can be the reason on why the girl that I love continues to live in a world where she is afraid to trust anyone"

And with that, Sun reflects on the past that he had shared with Blake. From the moment that he met her in the docks until the journey that they shared in order to go to menagerie. Sun felt responsible for Blake's fate and wanted the best for her no matter what the cost.

But a sudden realization suddenly hit Sun like a brick wall, knocking him out from the trance that he was currently engrossed in.

" _Did I just say the girl that I loved?"_

 _"OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD WHAT DID I JUST SAY?!"._

With now a crimson blush that has completely devoured his entire face. Sun reluctantly looks over to Kali, expecting a look of shock and anger as he just confessed that he had deeper feelings for her daughter.

But instead, he was met with a face of pure delight and joy. As Kali's face lit up with a smirk in her mouth, finally hearing the words that she needed to hear in order to confirm her suspicions regarding Sun's interest in Blake.

"Why did it took you so long to admit that you liked Blake? And to me nonetheless"

"I DIDNT MEAN IT! It was a spur of the moment thing and I didn't mean to say that I loved her out loud, I'm not vocal about those things you know. I JUST SAID IT AGAIN! WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME!"

Kali just rolls around on her stomach, laughing out loud as she was completely amused about the sudden lack of confidence that Sun suddenly presented to her. Despite this, she can tell that Sun's feelings for Blake were completely genuine, as she saw how Sun looks at Blake whenever they were together. She would always see a gaze of admiration and true unadulterated love coming from the boy.

"Relax Sun relax, I have nothing against you having feelings for Blake. I'm actually glad even, because I never thought that Blake would meet a person that would care for her this much despite her sometimes cold attitude"

"In fact, I would actually want to see you both end up together, since I think that both of you get along quite well and would do anything just to protect one another"

Sun was completely taken aback with Kali's reactions towards his feelings for Blake. At first he thought that he would be given a harsh scolding because Sun thought that Kali would be overprotective of Blake and her relationships. But on the contrary, she gave all her support to Sun and was even in **FAVOR** of them being in Nora's words " _Together, Together_ ". But with this amount of support, it also brings into light a question that he would have a hard time in answering.

Kali quickly asks him a question that he would be glad to not answer in the first place. But that would be rude considering the fact that Kali decided to cheer him up and now holds one of his deepest darkest secrets.

"So if you liked Blake for all this time, why have you never told her about how you really feel?"

This question would often linger in Sun's mind whenever he thought of confessing his feelings to her. Because he knew deep inside that Blake would never return the feelings that he had for her. As she had already set her heart on someone else. Someone that was better suited to protect her and someone that she had a closer bond with that not even any amount of friendship can overthrow. What she really valued the most is the love that she had for her dearest partner, Yang.

"Well as much as I would hate to admit it, somebody has already captured the heart of your daughter"

Kali worryingly places an arm over Sun's shoulders. Giving him the emotional support that he needed in order to answer the question that she had given him.

Sun now felt a lump forming in his throat, as he now realizes that there was no way that his dream romance would happen in any way shape or form. He was now plunged in the painful realization that the only thing that he can become in the eyes of Blake is a friend.

Albeit a very close friend.

Sun just sits there, motionless as he feels that he just hit the lowest of the low. As if he just jumped off of the large CCT tower in vale and plummeted to his death on the ground. That's how much pain that he was emotionally feeling right now.

Kali was grievously worried about the emotions that is currently running through Sun's mind. She felt guilty about asking that question and she wished that she should have just shut her mouth so that Sun wouldn't be more depressed as he already was.

Kali knew that she would have to say something. If not, she may badly damage the boy and ruin his chances of actually confessing his true feelings to Blake. So she does what she does best and offers some heartfelt maternal advice.

"Look Sun, you will achieve nothing if you keep your feelings cooped up like this. Despite what you think, you and Blake both share a bond with each other that has been tried and tested with the many trials that you both faced together. Saying that you love her face to face will have no effect on your relationship. It will either go in your favor and she _actually_ feels the same about you, and with that your relationship will grow even bigger than what it is now."

"And in the off chance that her heart _is_ already taken, then I think that your friendship can survive that albeit being a little awkward but I doubt that the both of you will have a falling out just because of it"

Sun sits there and processes the words that were delivered to him by a supportive Kali. A new mission is finally set in stone in his mind as he reflects on the massively helpful advice that Kali has given him. He finally realizes that it's time to say what he truly feels while they are still both together or the opportunity might pass and he may never truly relieve himself of the burden of harbouring his true feelings for her.

"Thanks Mrs. B, for everything. And I promise you that I will protect your daughter no matter what and I will declare my love for her with no hesitation!"

"Well that's a little cheesy but I will take your word for it. And remember sun, no matter what happens I will always be here when you need a shoulder to lean on. Because to me you are already a part of this family."

* * *

Realizing that a lot of time has already passed, the two decided to head inside in order to tidy up for dinner. As the sun has already set and there is no perfect time for Sun to declare his feelings than right now. When they are both gazing into the stars that will undeniably scatter at the blue visage that would cover menagerie during the night.

With a renewed and determined look on his face, Sun bids Kali farewell and decides to find Blake. And he had an idea that the brunette would be located at her favourite spot during this time which is the balcony that had a wondrous view of the horizon and shining stars that loomed above the heavens.

But despite Sun's renewed determination to confront his feelings. There were far more important things that are drifting across Blake's mind right now. As the girl is still burdened with a new problem that came into fruition as she read the letter that was perched in her windowsill the night berfore.

Sun had no idea about the predicament that Blake was in, he didn't know about the price that Blake was willing to pay in order to protect him and her parents. And he didn't knew that she was confronting another problem that she was forced to face alone.

But Sun made an internal promise within himself. A promise that he was willing to give up his body for in order to uphold and preserve. A promise that he made that weighed above all things that were in his life and will continue to until the day that he dies.

The promise to be strong for Blake and be there for her in her time of need. To be there for her when she needed the push in order to move forward through her challenges. To be there for her when she needed a shoulder to lean on. To be there for her no matter what. This is the promise that Sun valued among all else.

As he walks to the staircase that leads to the second floor of the mansion, he ascends with one question in his mind. A question that he would ultimately have to answer in order for him to truly call himself a man.

This question looped in his mind as he made his way to the balcony.

 _Can I say that I love you?_


	3. Chapter 3

The full majesty of the shattered moon is in full display over the horizon. Its radiant moonlight provides a soothing distraction to Blake as her mind wanders around in thoughts of trepidation about the events to come.

She just stares at the moon blankly, wondering about how it could stay peaceful and collected despite its broken appearance. She feels like the moon is taunting her, taunting her by the fact that she is being torn apart by the offer that Adam has laid out before her and she can't make a proper decision in which everyone around her can be happy. And with these thoughts she is agitated by the fact that she can't stay calm throughout this hurdle, by the fact that she can't mimic the peacefulness of the moon when she is being broken in a time like this.

Blake is thinking about every possible outcome that may happen with her confrontation with Adam. If she does not ask for any help from her family, she does not run the risk of losing them to the cursed promise that Adam has befallen them and ensures there safety at least for the time being.

But with every decision, there is a cost. If she decides on walking this path, the debt that she will have to pay will cost tenfold. She may never see her family again as she may lose her life in the process or worse, come face to face with the feelings of intense longing that Adam needed to quench at any cost.

Her eyes widen in horror about the thoughts that are manifesting in her head. Is she really this desperate to save the ones that she loves. Is she really this weak that she needed to pay with her life and not even have the ability to fight for the protection of her family. Is she really this worthless that she will pay any cost just to keep her family in the dark and never see them again just for their safety.

Blake's eyes are filled with sadness as a blunt realization hits her hard. The brutal realization that feels like cement smashing against her a million times over. It dawns on her that she is truly powerless when confronted with the demon's of her past and is forced into an unequal bargain that she knows will cost her life in the end.

But Blake still had a way out, a way out that she refused to acknowledge as she knows that a promise has to be kept by the monster that has longed for her for the longest time.

 _"I will destroy each and everyone that you love and you will be there to watch them, and you will be powerless to stop me"_

This phrase would always play in her mind when she desperately needed help. A phrase that would often repeat like a mantra as it forced her to build walls of seclusion that rivalled the ice queen herself. But she would always find a way to reassure herself, to make her content with the familiar feelings of isolation that she believed to be necessary in order to prevent the horrible fate that would befall her friends and family.

But before she falls even deeper into the pit of sadness, a ray of sunlight holds out its hands and gives her a glimmer of hope. A voice that made her momentarily forget about her worries as she recognizes the cheery voice that is coming from behind her.

"Well I was expecting you to be here. I know that you love the sky at this time of the night"

Sun was the only thing that was keeping her from going into a breakdown right now. She needed to be strong so that nobody would find out about the situation that she was in.

But as she looks at Sun, she can't help but feel even more desperate than before. She can't help but feel the temptation to tell everything that was bothering her to the boy that has followed her through thick and thin. But this made her heart sink even more.

Blake knows that she can't let Sun get involved in any way with the situation that she is currently engaged in with Adam. Blake's resolve to isolate everyone besides herself with the issues regarding the White Fang hardened even more with the events that happened a few nights before.

She knew that she couldn't risk Sun's life once again. Blake knew that Adam was even more dangerous than what Illya could ever be. And she knew that Sun wouldn't walk out of this battle with a simple flesh wound like the one that struck him earlier. Blake knew that if Sun would get involved with her problems, she would be the reason on why another close friend of hers would lose their chance at a wonderful life.

"Hey Sun, I didn't expect you to be here"

Blake says this with a blank expression on her face. An expression that Sun was all too familiar with an is a sign for him to know that something was bothering Blake as per his earlier suspicions.

"There's something bothering you again, isn't it?"

"Why would you say that Sun? nothing is bothering me everything is fine"

Sun notices that Blake answered his question with a large notion of irritation as this validates his suspicions even more and decides to make good on his promise and leans on the railings of the balcony next to Blake as per their usual routine whenever they would meet in the balcony at a scene exactly like this.

"Come on Blakey, you know that you can't resist my good looks. Just tell me what's bothering you. Ill promise that I can do something to turn that frown upside down"

Sun would always joke around with Blake during conversations like this. He knew that he needed to make Blake more comfortable with their usual conversations so that she may open up more easier with her feelings and express herself better.

But Sun knew that the look that Blake was giving him right now was not in the joking mood. Then and there he decides to be more serious and tackle the issue head on.

"Come on Blake, just tell me right here right now. What is troubling you so much that you have become more detached and isolated than usual"

"It's none of your business to know Sun. And what makes you think that something is bothering me. I told you already, nothing is bothering me. I'm just a little bit under the weather that's all.

"Blake, even though I'm not the sharpest knife in the shelf. I'm not that stupid to notice that you haven't been acting like yourself lately. I know that you are Blake and being all alone and brooding is your thing, but I know you well enough to know that look on your face when you are distressed. I know because you don't look as cute when something's troubling you.

"How many time do I need to tell you, **NOTHING. IS. BOTHERING. ME. GOT IT !** "

Sun finally gets annoyed with Blake's persistence to keep her feelings shrouded in mystery. But Sun has a promise to keep and this fits the criteria of being a situation in which Blake needed a shoulder to lean on. And he would force Blake to lean on his despite her resistance to do so.

"Blake!, haven't I told you before that pushing us out is bad for you? I told you that we are ready to take the burden of your problems and I promise you that I can help so why won't you just tell me what is going on?"

"You don't understand Sun, whatever is in my mind is for me alone. And don't you dare think that you have the right to know what I am currently feeling right now because we are nothing more than just friends. We are not family, we are not related. Hell, we aren't even in a relationship and you think without even a single hair of a doubt that you deserve to know what is torturing me day by day?!"

The radiant moonlight shines over the two as they are both shocked about the sudden turn of events that unfolded right before them

Blake was suddenly shocked about the statement that she just blurted out right in front of Sun. She didn't mean to hurt the boy's feelings. She definitely considered him like family because of the close bond that they shared and she was certainly guilty about mentioning there actual relationship not meaning to insinuate anything between the two of them.

But Sun was completely and utterly battered with the sudden burst of anger that Blake flashed right before his eyes. He knew that their friendship ran deep and Sun knew that Blake didn't mean to suddenly lash out on him.

But what really struck Sun was the fact that Blake did not have the notion or even a single hint of them sharing something more. This really hit Sun hard as this plunged him deeper to the realization that Blake had no true romantic feelings for him and truly regarded him as just being a friend. Not even being treated like family in the eyes of Blake.

But Sun quickly relinquished these thoughts as he is once again reminded that the girl right in front of him was only stuck between a rock and a hard place. And he once again reminds himself that he needed to be strong for her not just physically, but also mentally in order to properly guide her and shoulder her mental burdens

" _Don't get fazed by this. Remember, be strong for her_ "

" _You're a man of your word. So make good on your promise!_ "

Sun is quickly pulled back into reality as Blake angrily marches off and leaves the balcony. She was so furious and guilty with what she just said that smoke can almost be visibly seen coming out of her cat ears and nostrils.

Blake, now furious with herself and because of Sun's annoying concern for her quickly marches towards her room and locked the door behind her.

She removes the large white coat that enveloped her and plopped on her bed flat down with her arms extended to her sides.

Blake just lays there, tired from the thoughts that was enveloping her for the large sum of the day and emotionally stressed out because of her argument with Sun.

Her eyes are finally averted to the open window that was located near the side of her bed. The now pale moonlight shines at her as per usual and once again she is entranced by its elegant radiance.

But as she gazes at the moon on the distance, a familiar piece of paper quickly catches her attention and Blake manages to pick up the crumpled piece of paper and reads the note in it once again.

" _I can offer you a way out, a way out where we will both be happy and where precious blood that you value the most will not be shed. Meet me in the wastelands when you feel that the time is right. I will be waiting... My love_ "

While reading this, Blake suddenly felt an urge to remember. To remember the times that she had spent with Adam. This made her drift to a different time, a time when things were much more simpler and much more peaceful. A time when Adam was not the monster that she sees now. But the man that she truly idolized and the one that she first fell in love with.

* * *

"The stars look wonderful tonight, don't they Blake?"

"Yes Adam, without a shadow of a doubt"

The two young lovers gaze at the glorious night sky that was hovering above their heads. The two of them are comfortably lying down on a slanted hill that was lightly damp to the touch and gave them a clear view of the massive constellations that surrounded their view as they gazed towards the sky.

Blake's head was comfortably nestled on the warm chest of a young Adam Taurus. A younger Adam that was still pure in heart and contained good intentions for his Faunus brethren and wanted nothing more than equality between them and mankind. Nothing more, nothing less.

"You know Blake, these stars would often remind me of what we truly desire. Sometimes I would question myself, why am I doing this? why am I risking my life and many others just to gain equality that will cost more than the world's treasures just to have a chance of achieving it."

"But as I look into the stars above, it gives me more hope and enlightenment that I can ever wish for. These stars remind me that humans have been above us for as long as we can remember. And just like these stars, us Faunus just marvel at their beauty and never have the opportunity to notice that we have the potential to rise up to their level.

"I want a world in which Faunus and humans can share the same level in society. A level in which we can both marvel at each other's beauty and not fight for the right to be looked up upon by either side."

Hearing this from the man that she looked up upon, she can't help but form a blush on her face as she was completely astounded with Adam's vision and philosophy towards their fight to achieve equality.

She wholeheartedly admired Adam for his complete dedication to their cause and the huge amount of honor and humility that he exhumed towards everyone that he would interact with in a day to day basis. Also contributing to this is the fact that the boy was actually pretty charming and contained a huge amount of confidence whenever she was around him.

Blake just stares at Adam with a smile on her face. Completely smitten by the boy's large amount of charisma. This made Blake completely fall for him despite their relationship already being a romantic one.

So Blake decides to repay Adam for sharing his thoughts to her in a beautiful night like this. She decides to up the intimacy a little bit and she decides to lay flat on Adam's chest and stare at him face to face.

The two were currently engaged in an awkward position. In which Blake was leaned against Adam closely. Blake can feel the steadily increasing heartbeat of the boy that she currently had in her grasps. Her enhanced ears Faunus ears notice every slight change in tempo of Adam's exhilarated heart as she notices the ever furious blush that is currently enveloping the boy's face.

Blake cups both of her hands towards Adam's face and leans closer to him. They can both feel the tension that is building up between the two of them. The two of them both nervous and excited for the moment that they were about to share. One that they would treasure for years to come.

And in a quick flash both of their lips come into contact with each other. Their tongues both wrapped up in a gentle hug that would express the intense love that they both shared for one another for the longest time. Blake thoroughly enjoyed the taste of Adam's lips. It reminded her of the taste of sweet cherries as it enveloped her own and almost made her addicted to the sensation of Adam's tongue, which was intimately coming in contact with her's.

The two of them share this kiss for quite a while. Blake was certainly happy about the moment that she was sharing with Adam. She genuinely loved the boy she decided that this would be the best time to become more forward and as fate would have it, Adam also felt the same.

Blake and Adam enjoyed the kiss throughout its entirety. Both of them pull out of the kiss with a slight trail of drool coming in between them.

This moment couldn't have been more perfect for Blake. The radiant visage of the night sky was gloriously in display above their heads. All the while she is comfortably nestled in the arms of the man that she admired and both of them being in love more than ever.

"Adam, what you said was amazing and I love it. And I love you"

"We will stand together, side by side when we finally see the day where our dream have finally come true"

" _My love_ "

* * *

Blake finally snaps out from her incessant dreaming. Now back to the reality that she was currently facing.

This memory was one that she thought she would treasure for the rest of her life. But as it is now, it became a constant reminder of what she missed from Adam. And this made her shudder as she remembers the slow descent of Adam to the path of destruction as his demeanour changed over time and his once noble vision became a shadow of his past as he no longer wanted equality.

But instead, dominance.

But this gave Blake a small glimmer of hope. A small light at the end of the tunnel that she could try and reach for no matter how impossible it may seem.

She was tired of running from Adam. Tired of sleeping every night with fear in her consciousness for every day that passes where there is even a remote possibility of danger finding its way towards her family.

Blake has finally decided to at least try to talk with Adam. To try and bring back the gentle man that she once cared for. Believing that some fragment of his old self no matter how small it is still resides within his heart.

But if all else fails, Blake was willing to make Adam submit through combat as she was tired from running. Blake decides to confront Adam once and for all and decides to go to the designated location that Adam indicated in his letter.

Blake finally gets up from the bed that she was previously laying on and decides to prepare for her final confrontation with Adam. She has decided to leave early in the morning as to avoid attracting attention from her parents and Sun.

She heads over to her closet as she stumbles around in the dark. Blake notices the familiar glint of steel that was shining in her eyes that were coming from inside the closet.

Blake smiles as she knows that it was made by her beloved blade, Gambol Shroud. She reaches for it and grasps its hilt in her right hand. Meticulously inspecting it for any signs of damage or disrepair. But as expected, it was completely spick and span without any signs of age as its sharp blade reflected the moonlight that was illuminating Blake's room.

While in the closet, Blake also readies a large backpack that would contain some rations and extra clothes if the situation ever needed her to change into a fresher batch of clothing.

Blake prepared all of the necessities that she needed in order to travel towards the wastelands. It was a place totally void of any Faunus life as it was located in the outskirts of the city and its main landmass was compromised of desert therefore proving difficult to sustain life within its land.

The girl finally finishes preparing for the journey that she was going to take tomorrow. Knowing full well that this may be the last time that she would walk in this world.

Blake just sits there, staring blankly at her surroundings as she starts her slow descent to the pit of fear and sadness that was resting on her stomach and is steadily building up and spreading to the rest of her body.

But one thing kept her going. The one thing that was on her mind that kept her from being devoured by anxiety and fear was the reward that she would reap at the end of this trial. Blake can finally grasp the thing that was kept from her ever since she started running. A life that she knew that she deserved and had the right to from the very start.

A life in which she can actually be free.

But this life had to wait. She first needed to overcome the obstacles that were blocking her, Alone. Only then can she let her family be closer to her and she was still convinced that she needed no help regarding her situation and involving them would only make matters worse and the stakes higher.

And this made Blake more determined than ever to finish what she has started and fight for the life that she and her family deserved. And to get revenge on Adam for destroying a part of Yang that she would forever blame on herself.

"It's finally going to be over"

Blake mutters to herself calmly as she closes her eyes while sitting at the edge of her bed. Completely devoid of any care in the world as she nervously anticipates the turn of events that are going to shape her future tomorrow.

But as she finally begins to give in to her body's natural need for sleep, the silence in her room is broken as a steady knocking was coming from the door that she was currently facing.

"Blake its Sun. Please, just let me in"

Sun says this with a hint of desperation in the tone of his voice. Blake realizes that she can't avoid Sun as the boy was persistent in helping her and no amount of convincing can change the boy's mind.

" _You can't let him be involved with your mess Blake, it's your problem don't let anyone be hurt any further._ "

Blake thought of this in her mind. Trying to convince herself to avoid making anymore unnecessary risks to the people that she was trying to protect . She was so close to achieving that goal that she tried to resist the urge to answer Sun despite his extreme insistence to help Blake.

But no matter how much Blake struggled to keep herself from answering the door. Some force made her do the opposite. Blake couldn't quite put her finger on what exactly pushed her to answer Sun's pleas. Call it fate if you will. But something inside Sun's voice made her manage to feel safe. It made her feel that tomorrow was just a regular day and no life changing event was bound to take place.

Before Blake could stop herself from answering the door. Without her even knowing, her hand was already trying to turn the doorknob. As if she was trapped in a spell that she was unconsciously following with every command.

"What do you want sun?"

* * *

 **Well this chapter is certainly shorter than the two previous ones. Well that was what I intended because chapter 4 could have been added to this one quite easily. But if I tried to add it this chapter would be too much crowded as I feel that too many interactions would be jammed in and no development may take place since the gaps between important conversations will be short.**

 **You MAY expect a double update this week since these types of chapters don't take as much in me as the previous two but these are also pretty hard to write. This can be seen since the last few parts may be a little clunky.**

 **As usual thank you for the support and reviews are very much appreciated so that this story may be improved for the future. Thanks!**


	4. Chapter 4

After the debacle that he and Blake shared at the balcony, Sun immediately made his way towards Blake's bedroom. The boy was still determined to find the root of Blake's problems and nothing was going to stop him from finding out. Not even Blake herself.

Sun was pretty disappointed on how the evening turned out to be. The scenario that was laid before him was almost picture perfect to finally tell Blake his feelings for her. There was only the two of them, leaning against the railings in the balcony as they both enjoyed the luminous glow that the moon radiated that was all too familiar to the both of them.

Sun didn't know what could have happened if he had gotten to say what he really felt, would Blake reciprocate the feelings that he harboured for her, was he right at assuming that Blake was already taken?

But Sun couldn't dwell on those thoughts at the moment. He had more pressing matters to take care of and his feelings can take a backseat for now as Blake's well being will always be his number one priority and will gladly stay for as long as he can manage.

After a few minutes of jogging and wandering around the household. Sun is finally face to face with the door that led to Blake's room where she quickly retreated after their heated argument a few moments ago.

Sun didn't know exactly why, but standing in front of that wooden door sent him waves of anxiety as it quickly travelled throughout the veins in his body.

Something told him that what Blake was facing was more complex than he could ever think of. Blake may be open to him about certain things about herself but he definitely knew that what was told to him by Blake was only the surface of what the girl truly had inside her.

And he knew that what was contained deep inside Blake had something to do with what was currently consuming her for the past few days.

After a few moments, Sun finally builds up the courage to knock on Blake's door and is prepared for the conversation that may finally reveal Blake's intentions or as he expects, another argument that was bound to ensue.

Sun knocks on Blake's door three times. And with a hint of desperation, asks for Blake's permission for him to enter the room and talk about their argument earlier and what Blake had in her mind.

Sun was mildly surprised as Blake quickly runs over and opens up the door albeit reluctantly. This surprised sun as the girl was usually stubborn whenever people would try to talk to her regarding her feelings. But that didn't matter right now as he finally had the chance to talk to her.

Blake peeks with one eye through the slight opening that she made by opening the door for sun. She quickly responds.

"What do you want Sun?"

Sun was relieved that Blake has calmed down and reverted back to her calm and collected self. This made him straighten his shoulders as he gained more confidence as his anxiety washed away in the sea of his consciousness.

"Blake, you don't have to tell me everything that is in your mind right now. I just want to know, what is really bothering you right now? I just want to see you happy again that's all'

Blake couldn't wash off the guilt that she was feeling right now. As much as she wanted, no, needed to tell Sun that she was facing a grave threat, She couldn't bring herself to open up to him since Sun would be put into unnecessary danger once more if he would be tangled up in this mess once again.

But no matter how much Blake tried, She didn't have the ability to straight up lie to Sun. The bond that they shared was too great for her to do such a thing that can be considered as an act of betrayal.

"Sun, I'm just worried. I'm worried that my past will come back to bite us again. I'm afraid every time that I wake up because each day brings me closer to the decisions that I will need to make and I know that all of you will get hurt because of it."

"Blake! you're forgetting what I have been telling you for all this time. You don't need to be alone understand that? We are more than capable of fending for ourselves and protecting you. Why can't you just understand that?"

Sun relays this with sadness in the tone of his voice. Blake is heartbroken with how Sun is talking to her right now. She is being drowned in a sea of guilt as she knows full well that Sun cares for her so terribly much. And it tortures her every single time that the boy reaches out to her because she knows that every time Sun reaches out to her, his pleas would be overlooked by Blake's determination to isolate herself for the better good.

Blake decides to tell Sun the excuse that she would call for when confronted in situations like this. An excuse that made each and every one of her motives reasonable as it details a traumatizing part of her life that would justify her decisions to be alone.

"Sun, the last time that I let someone close to me. The last time that I opened up to someone about my past. They got a **PHYSICAL** part of them removed because of me. A part that them can never get back. I don't want the same thing to happen to anyone else that is close to me. Why can't **YOU** understand that I am doing this for you're good."

Blake is becoming agitated once again. She is tired of the constant questioning that bombarded her in a constant basis and the only thing that she currently needs right now is to be alone with her thoughts.

"Blake, I'm tired do you know that?"

"What do you mean Sun!?"

"I'm tired of hearing that damn excuse over and over again!"

Blake was shocked with the sudden change in demeanour that Sun presented right in front of her. This is the first time that Blake ever saw Sun this frustrated, and this made her slightly tremble from the place that she was currently standing on.

"Do you really think that you're being selfless by anchoring all of your problems to yourself? Do you really think that Blake?"

"Don't you see that your problem is so much bigger than yourself? Can't you see that we are ALL trying to pass this trial. We all want to keep each other safe and you are not helping if you don't tell us what's going on. You think that leaving us in the dark will spare us from the fate that Yang suffered from Adam? Well you're damn wrong! How can we keep ourselves safe if we don't know what's going to come for us. So tell me Blake, are you really trying to be selfless or are you just selfish deep inside."

Blake is slowly giving in to her feelings. Anger, sadness, guilt and many more negative thoughts are flowing through her mind like a broken dam that is relentlessly flooding her mind with various emotions that she wants to blurt out all at once.

" _Is he right? am I really being selfish?_ "

" _HOW DARE HE QUESTION MY DECISIONS! THE THINGS THAT I DO ARE FOR THEM_ "

" _Should I tell him right here right now?... No, I can't_ "

Blake is completely being devoured by all these feelings right now. Her head is facing the ground as pools of tears are slowly building up on her eyes. Freely falling at the wooden floor that she was currently staring at.

Sun stands there staring at Blake. Completely saddened on how he made Blake feel because of the pent up frustration that suddenly came out of him. He wanted to comfort Blake and he decides to come closer to her.

"Blake I.. I.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

And in a quick flash, Blake finally gives in to the intense weight of the feelings that are drifting in her mind right now. All of her emotions that she has forcefully shoved are coming out of her in full force. And Sun was about to take the brunt of Blake's outburst.

With a loud clapping sound, Blake's right hand comes in full contact with the left side of Sun's face. Sun feels the sudden sting of Blake's hand coming down at him and his face recoils from the impact of the slap that he received.

" **HOW DARE YOU CALL ME SELFISH SUN! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL ME SUCH A THING!** "

Blake's tears are coming down full force, almost completely enveloping her whole face now as she continues to deliver the point that she was trying to make.

"Do you think that I want to be alone!? Do you think that sitting alone in a room and seeing all of your friend's lives play out right in front of you knowing full well that you can be the reason on how their dreams can be destroyed brings me happiness Sun!? DO YOU THINK THAT!"

"I want to spend time with the ones who are close to me. My friends, My family, The ones that I love. I miss my team to death and I want nothing more but to spend time with them.

Blake is now in the complete mercy of her emotions. She continues on by painfully describing the times that she missed with her team and it brings her so much sorrow that she couldn't cherish these moments for a longer time.

"I want to see Ruby grow up. I want to be there when she finally becomes a huntress and achieve her dreams of helping anyone that she can. I love to spend more time having fun with her as she tries to constantly try and make me eat cookies. And it kills me that I never cherished the goofy moments that I had with her and almost never accepted her offers to go out and hang loose"

"I want to see how Weiss is holding up. I need to catch up with her with the books that we were reading back in the academy. I miss our more reserved conversations and how much I would treasure the rare smiles that she would give to me and the rest of our team that was for us and us alone."

But the next part was what pains her the most. It was time for her to reminisce about her partner and the person that she loved. And the main reason on why she had decided to seclude herself from the people that she treasured with all her heart.

"And Yang! How can I get started on her. She is the most unique person that I have ever met in my entire life. To other people she may look and act like the average rowdy and overactive girl. But nobody knows her as well as I do and I know that she is more complexed than you think. Underneath all of that beauty is a person with a heart of gold. She was always there for me when I am troubled and she was like that to the rest of the team. I loved how she takes care of her hair and the gentle caresses that she applies to it in order to nurture it."

Blake can't help but babble on and on about the girl that she had fallen for. If she were given the time, she could go on for hours describing the blonde's every action and mannerism's as she knew them like the back of her hand. In a moment of sadness and vulnerability, Yang would always find a way to sneak within Blake's mind and alleviate the pain that the girl would feel for a few precious moments.

But her moment of joy no matter how small it was starting to drift away. As the guilt that was residing within her was still in control of her every thought and action that she was currently doing.

"But the memory of her is killing me every day! Because I regret that I never told her how I really felt about her!"

Sun now stares at Blake intently, now expecting the words that will utterly hurt his heart but the ones that he knew were within Blake for all this time.

"I need to finish this alone Sun, because it's the only way for us to live a quiet life. It's the only way for me to go back to my team without me endangering their lives serving as a mark for our enemies to track."

"This is the only way that I can finally tell Yang that I.. That I.. Lo, Lo, Lo"

Sun was bracing himself, knowing full well that Blake was about to confess that she had feelings for the woman that she was infatuated with as long as he can remember. He was about to witness his defeat to Yang for Blake's heart.

Blake realizes what she is about to say. And she notices that Sun's face has changed from the earlier looks of agitation that he gave her. She stares at his eyes with tears still flowing from her face. Blake sees a man that was broken right in front of him.

She sees that the look that Sun gave him was of utter defeat and sadness. Blake didn't know what was causing this look in Sun's face. Was it the slap that she gave him, was it her sudden outburst?

Or maybe... Just maybe.

Blake couldn't comprehend the situation that was happening right in front of them. It was almost midnight and the moon was in the apex of its height as its moonlight has completely penetrated the walls that were contained within Blake's room.

It illuminated the two broken souls that were residing within the bedroom at this moment. It shined on the both of them and revealed each subtlety that the two tried to hide. It revealed the cracks that formed within their heart's as the two people standing there lost a little bit of themselves. For they harboured their problems and frustrations for far too long and this was the fallout of their decision to do so.

Blake's status right now was of complete instability. Her emotions were in complete dominance of her mind and body and all of her raw feelings are being manifested as of this moment. Undoubtedly bought upon by the stress that she endured while secluding herself and trying to burden all of her problems instead of asking for help from the ones who offered it.

Sun on the other hand was barely holding on. He still had no idea about the true cause of Blake's problems. He was also starting to be exhausted by constantly reaching out to Blake without even getting any thanks or signs of appreciation. But those thoughts have almost completely vanished because of the events that recently presented itself. Sun is barely clinging on and trying not to succumb to his emotions about what Blake was about to blurt out right in front of him. He now knew full well that he has no chance and that truly and utterly broke him.

The two just stare at each other. The both of them feeling sorry for each other as they are seeing the worst in the both of them and don't know how to comfort the other.

But Blake was still under the spell of her consciousness. Her mind now reminds her of the anger that she was feeling earlier and like an impulse, she decides to act up on it because she didn't know what to do at this given moment.

She gets closer to sun and grabs him by the collar of his shirt. And with all of her might she throws Sun out of her room, screaming at him to leave.

"GET OUT NOW!"

And with that, Sun gets thrown out off of Blake's room and he hears the click of the lock coming from behind him.

Sun just stares at the door that was slammed shut right in front of him. He was still processing the information that came from his conversation with Blake. Sun was so dazed with the sudden outburst that Blake showed right in front of him that he never felt the sting of the slap that he had received from Blake. Until now that is.

Sun covers the left cheek of his face with his hand. Now feeling the burning sensation that was bought upon by the full force of Blake's tantrum.

This was not the first time that Sun received a slap in the face from Blake. The first was when Blake discovered that Sun was following her after all this time and she struck Sun just after their fight with the large Grimm that attacked their ship on the way to menagerie.

The second was on the night that he was almost killed. Blake and Ghira found out that he was eavesdropping on their personal conversation. That aggravated Blake a lot and once again vented all of her frustrations and struck Sun for a second time.

But this time, it was different. Sun somehow felt that this instance was more painful than the others. Not only did it come from the angriest that he has ever seen Blake, he can't help but think that she made Blake feel like she was the reason on why bad things are happening to the people around her.

And that is what makes the burning sensation on his face a lot more painful. He can feel the pain spreading across his body and is relentlessly ambushing his heart. As it made him feel the pain that Blake was going through when he suddenly lost control of his emotions.

But what made matters worse, what made Sun feel even more depressed and in pain than he already was is the fact that Blake's feelings for Yang were finally materializing right before his eyes. It felt like salt was being sprinkled over the already painful wound that his heart was afflicted with.

But what Sun was worried for the most was the fact that he was finally doubting the faith that he had put on Blake's shoulders. He was starting to get tired from the constant rejections that he faced when he was the one that was extending out a hand to give help. Sun was tired on how Blake would coldly treat him and how he felt that Blake treated him like dirt on extreme occasions.

And with these thoughts, Sun is reminded on how many times Blake has hurt him throughout their time together. Sun remembers all of the times when a little bit of him gets humiliated each and every time that Blake rejects his constant offers for help and her unwavering determination to shut him out whenever she felt the need to.

When Sun was about to cross the point in which he would never recover from, a memory from their times at beacon came to the rescue and pulled him out of the pit that he was falling from.

* * *

He remembers the scene clearly, it was the night of the dance and he was standing at the center of beacon academy's courtyard. Sun stood there with a tie on his rarely buttoned shirt with a black vest accompanying it and struggles in tying it. Moments pass and he starts to finally make his way towards the hall where the party was located at. Sun abruptly stopped as he heard the voice of the person that made him look forward for the dance every second that he was awake.

"I knew that you would look handsome in a tie"

Sun marvels at the beautiful girl that was standing right in front of him. Blake was dressed completely ready for the dance that they were both going to partake in. She was wearing a velvet dress that ran along her legs with slight gaps in the sides that show off small parts skin. The top part of the dress was accompanied by a transparent black fabric that served as sleeves for her shoulders and complimented the dress overall.

At that moment, Sun realized that he was truly smitten by the girl. It dawns on Sun that at rare moments like this, Blake would break the shell that was enveloping her and reveal the beauty of her heart and it shows that she can be carefree at times like this.

And this is what made Sun decide that he was sticking with this girl for as long as he can. Because Sun wanted to see the best in Blake at all times and he wanted to be there when Blake embraced this part of herself.

"You look beautiful, don't you know that?"

"Well thank you, but my first dance is already covered."

Sun knew who the person that was specially reserved for Blake as her first dance. He knew that Yang would be the one to take Blake's hand and have the honor to be the first one that Blake dances with.

This was the first instance in which Sun got the hint that the two shared a deeper relationship than what others would think. Something in his gut told him that Blake was having feelings for her blonde partner but she was just not vocal with it.

But that didn't matter. All Sun cared about was the fact that the girl that he cared for was finally happy for once and he didn't care about his own feelings if it meant that Blake would stay this way for the rest of the night. And with that they both start to head towards the venue.

"Well, shall we go m'lady?"

"Indeed we shall."

Sun reaches out with his arm towards Blake, signalling the girl to place her hand and envelop Sun's arm with hers. Blake happily obliges and they both merrily go their way and head towards the ball.

* * *

Sun snaps out of his vivid dream. But his earlier feelings of pain and anguish were completely washed away by the bright smile that was currently covering his face. The memory of the dance that they both attended reminded him of the reason on why she wanted to be there for Blake. To be there when she finally embraces the brighter side of herself and finally be happy for a long time. And at this point Sun remembers that his feelings for Blake would happily be stowed away if it meant that she would be happier if she and Yang would finally become together in a relationship that they both deserved and longed for.

And with that, Sun decides to lay his back on the door of Blake's room. Deciding that he would solve their predicament first thing in the morning. And he wanted nothing more for the both of them to make up and mend the wounds that they inflicted upon each other this night.

This also made Sun remember the promise that he had made just this afternoon. Sun remembers that he needed to be strong for Blake mentally and physically, so that he may be there when she needed him the most.

 _"Remember you're promise Sun, be there for her no matter what. Be the shoulder that she would lean on when in the time of need. Be there to lend her strength through her trials. Be there when she needs you the most."_

Sun is now sitting with his back behind Blake's bedroom. Ready to apologize and comfort the girl when she was ready to face him. But Sun knew that the time was not now and decides to give Blake the space that she needed.

Fatigue and the urge to sleep are finally taking over Sun's consciousness. He gives in to this feeling and is now asleep, guarding the door that lead to the person that he held most dear in this world.

* * *

The air that night was cold and brisk. Blake was heading towards the venue of the school dance and was already pretty late. After many failed attempts and constant bugging, her team has finally made her want to join the dance that Yang and Weiss personally organized.

Blake was thankful for the persistence that her team showed when it came to cheering her up. It made her more happy inside knowing that she had friends that cared for her deeply and even made her let go of her conquest against roman and the white fang for the time being. So that she can just have one night to relax and forget all the troubles that she had in the world.

Prior to the dance, Sun had already tried to invite him to the dance as his date. This really flattered Blake knowing that a lot of other girls in beacon were trying to launch themselves towards Sun because of his good looks. But Blake and Sun were pretty good friends at this point and he knew that the boy was more than just looks.

He saw the boy that was supposed to be her date to the dance standing at the center of the courtyard, struggling to make a knot with his tie that he had obviously no experience with.

This sight looked adorable to Blake as seeing Sun struggling with a single tie made her thoughts more innocent. This made Blake laugh a little bit as Sun was usually the smooth type of guy that never wanted to make mistakes in front of people. And seeing him like this changed her opinion otherwise.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two make their way towards the venue. With their arms tangled together and happily walking in a comfortable pace that made her relax with every step.

The two finally make it to the hall and they marvel at the amazing sight that lay before them. A large dance floor lay before them and plenty of couples were dancing together with their dates in a formal manner. White drapes were hung above the railings overlooking the dance floor and flowers of various quantities were set in the perfect places that were obviously there to make a harmony of colors.

But Blake had already set her gaze on the most beautiful thing in the room right now. She saw her blonde partner, wearing a white dress that complimented the brightness of her skin tone and showed of all the right places that Blake didn't mind glancing at a bit longer.

Blake reminded herself that this was the girl that brought her to this dance in the first place. It reminded her that Yang was the reason on why she decided to let loose for once and enjoy himself and for that she was truly grateful for. So she decided that the best way to repay her was to accept her offer and be her first dance for the night.

"Wow! You actually came!"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world. Especially when you were the one who invited me."

And with that, Yang extends out her arm and bows in a romantic manner and invites Blake to dance. Blake blushes a bit as the woman that she was falling for was inviting her personally to have a dance with her.

But before anything happened, Blake glanced at her _actual_ date and she saw if Sun had any problem with their arrangement even though she already warned him earlier.

"Go on! Enjoy yourself, after all this is your night"

"Thanks Sun! I'll make sure to give you a dance later"

Yang also responds

"Well Thank you too Sun! I'll make sure that she gets back unmarked, at least a little bit"

Yang winks at Sun jokingly and Blake blushes even more than she was before. But Sun just waves at them and bids them to have a good time.

The two excitedly head over to the dance floor. Blake at first shyly started to dance with Yang. But as usual the blonde's energy was highly contagious and this made Blake more comfortable to dance around her and they were both dancing at full swing when a few moments had passed.

"So, you enjoying you're self?"

"Of course I am, now that I'm with you."

"Awwwww that's sweet! Well that will make it harder for me to return you back to your date."

Sparks were flying between the two and Blake was feeling an extreme high while dancing with yang. Both of them were smiling the whole duration of their dance. As they were both twirling around each other and holding each other closely. Blake was honestly having the time of her life and was thankful that she actually attended the dance.

But what made it all the more sweeter was that Yang was with her for the longest time. They were both pressed together and were both so close to physical contact than they ever were. And they both felt emotions that they have felt for each other blossoming further and further as they shared this dance.

As the two finish a figure that they were both all too familiar with, the two end up face to face and more closer than they were ever before. Thoughts were flying in Blake's mind as she has never been this close to Yang and an opportunity has never presented itself like this.

 _"Should I do it, should I really kiss her right now?"_

Blake knew that the feelings that she was having right now was mutual with Yang, she knew at that moment that they can cement their status together and she can finally have someone to love again.

She would have done it at that moment, but she knew that a lot of people were surrounding them and expressing her feelings at a public event like this was not in her character at all.

Yang knew that this was what Blake would feel and understandably pulled out of their embrace rather than letting Blake do it herself. Blake and Yang smile at each other as they had shared one of the best moments of their lives.

"Well thanks for the dance Blake, hope that this will not be the last time we do that"

"It definitely won't be. In fact, I'm looking forward to it"

"That reminds me, where's Sun?"

And at that instant, Blake suddenly goes in a panic. Expecting that Sun witnessed the moment that she had shared with Yang and was scared that Sun would be jealous about the dance that she shared with Yang.

Blake looks frantically around her, desperately trying to find the blonde boy that was supposed to be her date.

"Looking for someone?"

Blake stares over at the sidelines as she saw Sun standing over the punch bowl alongside with Neptune. Sun waves at her signalling her to come closer.

"Gosh Sun I'm really sorry, I should have spent less time with Yang and.."

"Come on Blake! Don't worry about it I told you to have fun and if that was your way of having fun then so be it. And you did warn me that you're first dance was taken"

"Thanks Sun. Well I guess that I do owe you a dance"

Blake offers her hand, inviting Sun to the dance floor. But Sun just scratches the back of his head with a look of hesitation.

"You know, you don't have to spend the night with me. Go over to Yang or your teammates. I'll bet that you'll have more fun with them rather than dancing with boring old me."

Blake was completely taken aback by the gesture of kindness that Sun was showing her right now. Blake knew that Sun wanted nothing more than to spend time with her right now because he was the one that asked to take her to the dance.

And what surprised Blake even more was the fact that Sun was willing to set back his own happiness just to see her have fun in a time like this. And this made Blake really grateful that she had Sun as a friend.

Blake couldn't believe what Sun was willing to give up right here and right now. She was tempted by the offer that Sun gave to her since she really did want to spend more time with Yang and the rest of team RWBY. But just leaving Sun right there really felt that she was being unfair to the boy and wanted to make it up to him by spending actual time with her date.

"Come on Sun! you are my date after all"

"Are you sure? don't you want to spend time with your team. They've been wanting to see you like this in like, forever. I wouldn't want to intrude on that opportunity"

Sun's persistence to keep Blake happy was seriously growing on Blake right now. The feeling of someone looking after you and prioritizing you're every whim rather than theirs was really endearing to Blake.

Something was developing within Blake right now. She knew from the bottom of her heart that Sun was a true friend that she would relish for a very long time. And she knew that it would be a unfair if their relationship would be only beneficial to her. So she decided to pull Sun to the dance floor regardless of his constant pleas for her to enjoy herself.

The two were spot on with their dancing. Sun was very flashy and used lots of motions while on the dance floor. While Blake was very graceful and conservative with all of her moves.

The two were completely in sync with each other while they were dancing. Even though their styles are completely different, the two complimented each other perfectly and filled in the gaps that the other left and were both engaged in a perfect harmony of moves that impressed the audience around them.

And with the end of the song that they were dancing, the two leave the dance floor with the whole crowd applauding their performance. Blake and Sun bowed ceremoniously and went to the balcony in order to get some rest.

"Well well well, with you being so quiet I never thought that you would be a great dancer."

"Sun, you don't know a lot of things about me. But I assure you, dancing is not the only thing I'm good at"

"Well if it means anything, I really had a great time tonight Blake. I'm so happy that well you know, that you're happy. And if it meant that you will be like this with support from your friends, then I'm staying for the long run to make sure to see you like this all the time."

Blake blushes as the boy is still persistent with his words of kindness. It would always melt Blake's heart to hear these words especially coming from Sun.

Across the other side of the balcony, a high-pitched voice called over to Blake and it caught her attention.

"Hey Blakey! Mind spending time with your team for team for once? We've been waiting for you all night"

Blake sees the Ruby with the rest of their team, excitingly waiting for her to come join them and finally make up for the lost time that they had.

Then suddenly, the white heiress pinches the energetic Ruby in the ears and gives her a scolding that they were all too familiar with.

"Just wait you dolt! Can't you see that Blake has Sun as her date!. She can't just leave him in the air like that."

"OK OK OK OK I'm sorry Weiss. Now can you please take your finger out of my ear cause it really hurts!"

Blake can see the cheery laugh of Yang as this scene was playing right in front of them. Weiss just rolls her eyes and finally lets go of the brunette's ear and patiently waits for Blake to rejoin them.

But Blake was very hesitant to leave Sun there. After all Weiss did make a good point that leaving Sun there would be rude and she would happily enjoy her time with Sun if the boy chose to spend his time with her.

As per usual, Sun gives out a kind gesture to the girl and gives her the opportunity to spend more time with her friends.

"Come on Blake. Go with your team I really don't mind spending time alone. Besides, I have Neptune to keep me company and I will have a good time watching him fail miserably trying to ask girls out."

Blake finally gave in to Sun's request and decided to finally spend some quality time with her team. But before parting ways, Blake gave Sun a kind gesture of her own that surprised the boy a little bit.

And in a flash, Blake quickly gives Sun a hug showing her appreciation for the boy's kind intentions towards her. Sun was grateful for the hug that he received from Blake albeit a little surprised and now with a blush on his face as they both revelled in this moment.

"Thanks Sun, I just want you to know that I appreciate what you do for me."

The two pull out from the hug that they were sharing and finally went to their separate ways. Blake was completely stormed by her teammates as they were eager to meet their distant friend once again.

Sun just watches the moment that Blake and her team were sharing. She never saw Blake that happy and he was glad that he was able to do this for Blake. He was still feeling the lingering feelings of warmth that were bought upon by the hug that he and Blake shared. Still revelling on the sweet sensation that was embedded on his chest.

"Yoah dude! How are you holding up. I saw Blake with her team just know. Well? how did it go, did you two have a great time?"

Sun was being completely battered by Neptune with many questions regarding the time that he shared with Blake. And the only thing that Sun responded with was a smile and

"Well, I'm really in love with her."

* * *

Blake was slumped against the door in her bedroom, currently mirroring Sun's current position despite her own knowledge. The memory of the dance at beacon was what lightened up her mood and bought back some good memories that really helped her with her current situation.

This memory really made her think about her friends more. Different thoughts are already forming in her head bought upon by the memory that she had while in the time of her need.

Remembering Yang like that was nothing less than a treat for Blake. It made her feelings for Yang intensify for each moment that passes and it made her decide to finally make the move that she was guilty that she never took that faithful night.

It also made her regret treating Sun the way she did earlier. She remembered that Sun prioritized her for as long as she could ever remember and Blake realized that Sun would do anything just for her well being and that made her truly guilty for what she did earlier. Blake realized that Sun did everything in his power to keep Blake in track with her emotions and her safety.

And this made Blake even more determined to go through with her greatest trial yet. It increased her drive to finally take action and finish what she started all those years ago.

Blake finally decides to sleep, deciding that she needed to conserve as much energy as she can in order to be in full strength to fight the monster that was Adam in direct combat.

As her mind starts to drift and fade away into her consciousness, the last image that she saw was the radiance of the moon as it was finally face to face with her at that very moment.

And one final thought appeared in her mind before she fell to her natural need for sleep.

 _"I need to finish this, so that I can spend more time with Sun and repay him for everything that he has done for me"_

 _"I need to see my friends again, we still have so much to do and I wouldn't miss it for the world"_

 _"And most importantly, to tell Yang that I love her from the bottom of my heart."_

* * *

 **Well that was longer than I expected. This chapter was intended to be 3k WORDS just to supplement the earlier chapter and set up some tension for the next few chapters.**

 **But something in my broken mind decided to supplement the chapter EVEN MORE with adding some off-canon scenes during the beacon flashback.**

 **The flashback would serve as a main driving force for Blake and to make Sun at least a little bit more colder after the many emotional (sometimes physical) beating that he was receiving for Blake.**

 **As usual thank you for your time in reading this fic and reviews are appreciated so that I can improve from you're guys feedback. TIA!**


	5. Chapter 5

Early mornings were usually a hassle for Blake, she couldn't bear the constant stream of sunlight that would bombard her window as it reminded her that it was time to awake from her gentle slumber.

But this morning called for her most honest attention. As she remembers what day it was and that it was time for her to leave once again. But this time, everything that she had was at stake. And this may be the last time that she ever steps foot on this household ever again.

Blake drearily wipes the sleepiness in her eyes as she starts to get prepared for the mission that was at hand. She stands up from her position on the door as she remembered the fight that he had with Sun the night before. Guilt was compelling Blake to check up on the boy but visions of her fight with Adam was flooding her mind and Blake remembered that she needed to leave without her family noticing.

She urgently picks up the backpack that she readied and brandished Gambol Shroud and inspected it's glimmering blade one last time. She will heavily rely on its power and her own in order to finally face the nightmare that she has been running for the longest time.

Blake smiles as she slings Gambol Shroud on her shoulder and is finally prepared to face the task at hand. But Blake had the sudden urge to read the paper that lead to this moment and decided to read it for one last time.

 _"I can offer you a way out, a way out where we will both be happy and where precious blood that you value the most will not be shed. Meet me in the wastelands when you feel that the time is right. I will be waiting... My love".'_

Rage was building up inside Blake right now as she wanted nothing more to be done with Adam as the very thought of him disgusted Blake to her very core. The fact that a pure man like him was able to be corrupted so easily by the temptations of evil, It made her realize that the world was more darker than she thought and Adam was a reminder that anyone may fall if pushed hard enough.

She crumples the letter that contained Adam's message and throws it at her trashcan. Blake decides that she needs to leave at this moment so that she may reach the wastelands before the sun sets. And so that Sun and her family won't notice her absence until she can no longer be tracked.

The girl hurryingly rushes over to her windowsill, being careful to raise the window so that no noise may result that can alert the other residents of the house.

It was still very early into the morning but the sun's heat was already at full swing. Blake uses her hand as a roof to cover her face from the vibrant sunlight and to serve as a small shade for her to cool down.

The scorching heat was now enveloping Blake and was producing the all too familiar feeling of annoyance as her skin get's burned by the barrage of sunlight that was striking Blake at all her pores.

But Blake didn't mind the heat that was surrounding her body at the moment. Besides the burning sensation, Blake couldn't help but feel that the sun was producing a unique but familiar sensation of warmth and love radiating from it. She couldn't be sure, but Blake felt that the aura that the Sun was exerting at this moment was clearly reminiscent of what she felt when she was near her loved ones.

Blake felt that the sun was enveloping her in a tender hug that bought with it the strength and love of all those that she wanted to protect. She couldn't help but smile amidst this one last feeling of joy as she revels on the sensation that the heat was giving her right now.

She glances at her room one last time, reminding herself that this may be the last time that she ever sets sight on this room. Blake scans each and every object that was embedded with her memories as feelings of sentiment are materializing within her mind.

The closet that she would hide on when she was sad and would store all of her favourite clothes.

The beautiful wooden desk that was placed near her bed that she would spend countless nights on, reading her favourite books and writing whatever thoughts that would pop in her mind at any given moment.

The bed that she would faithfully dwell in as it completely relaxes her body and delivers her to the land of her dreams.

Blake, now with a sad look on her face turns around and finally decides to leave and go off to have the fight of her life. But a loud snore that was coming from just outside her door made her look a second time.

She realized that the snore that was emanating from outside her door was coming from Sun. Blake immediately thinks that after the intense emotional pressure that she put Sun under, the boy still made an effort to sleep on Blake's doorstep being ready to talk to her first thing in the morning.

The thought of Sun bought a single tear into Blake's eye as she remembers the dance that she had all too remembered. She was once again endeared with the boy's determination to keep her in good shape and this made Blake's heart melt even more.

Blake wipes away the single tear in her eye and smiles as she stares at the door that directly contained her most dearest friend. The picture of Sun leaning at Blake's door, humbly sleeping managed to put a smile on Blake's face as she wholeheartedly loved the boy's innocence at times.

And with that, she stares off into the distance and utters one last thought before she leaves her home and undergo the perilous journey that would lead her to her last confrontation with Adam.

"This is for you guys."

* * *

Sun was peacefully leaning against the door of Blake's room as he quietly enjoys the silence in the air and the somber environment that he was dwelling in at this moment. He was quietly resting against the wall, still sleeping as he had no idea that Blake was not in her room and has succeeded in leaving without anyone noticing.

But as he was sleeping, he can't help but think about the fight that Blake and him had that faithful night. Sun remembered that he needed to speak to the girl first thing this morning and decided to finally wake up from his deep sleep.

The boy energetically bounces off from his resting position and stretches his muscles. They were clearly sore because of the awkward position that he laid in but it was a sacrifice that Sun deemed necessary in order to make sure that Blake was fine and that nothing bad would happen to her again for the rest of the night.

Sun, more determined than ever decides to confront Blake as soon as now so that the situation between them wouldn't have to be awkward for her and their family. So Sun decides to check if Blake was already awake and decides to try the doorknob that lead to her room. But alas, it was still locked despite being already pretty late even for her standards. But Sun decided that Blake had a very exhausting night and she needed all the rest that she can to regain her strength for the day.

Sun wanted nothing more than to see the beautiful smile that the girl would sport from time to time and it almost hurt to see her so distraught and disturbed. He just wanted to hug Blake right now and tell her that everything will be ok and the world around them can be safe.

But Sun knew that this wasn't how Blake viewed the world. In fact, Blake was very adamant in her belief that the world was locked in a dangerous cycle and was often pessimistic about the events that are happening around them.

And that is what Sun wanted to change in Blake. He wanted her to realize that the world still has some goodness in it and that people just needed to see it's radiance rather than the darkness that overshadowed it.

Thinking that Blake was still sleeping undisturbed inside her room. Sun decided to make the most out of his morning by doing another round of training. But not before accompanying Blake's parents for their morning breakfast.

Sun headed over to the massive staircase that lead to the main hall of the belladonna household. The main hall branched out to many rooms and it was so massive in fact that Sun actually got lost once and was only fetched by Kali who he stumbled upon by entering mistakenly in a large storage room and Kali managed to guide Sun to the dining room where he originally intended to go.

Remembering the directions that Kali had given her awhile ago, Sun excitingly headed over to the family dining room in order to help Kali and Ghira with their breakfast preparations and to partake in it as well.

Sun knew that Blake's family were able to whip up amazing dishes that made your taste buds flutter with happiness as every dish that Sun has ever tasted within their home exploded with flavor within his mouth.

This made Sun's mouth water as thoughts about another scrumptious meal are flowing around his mind right now. He finally reaches the room that was the family's dining room and sees that Kali and Ghira are already setting up the table and readying plates and utensils in order for them to use.

"Good morning guys! let me help you with those plates. Wouldn't want to be a useless house guest while I'm here"

Ghira rolls his eyes and mutters something under his breath.

"As if."

Kali gives Ghira an elbow to his stomach and Ghira recoils from the act of discipline that Kali demonstrated just now. Kali heads over to Sun and gladly hands him a porcelain plate and antique utensils that he would set in the table.

"Here you go Sun! Set it over on the far side of the table and we can start eating in just a bit."

"Well we shouldn't start if Blake isn't here yet."

"As a matter of fact, I haven't seen Blake all morning. This is actually pretty rare of her as she is usually awake at this time of the morning. Do you know if she went anywhere or anything at all?"

"I did notice that her door was locked, I just thought that she may be sleeping and didn't want to be bothered or something like that."

"Well you better wake her up. Here is a key to her room. Go over and wake her up, at least waking up to you will probably brighten up her morning."

And with that, Kali reaches for her pocket and throws the keys to Blake's room over to Sun. But before Sun could leave and wake Blake from her supposed slumber. Kali managed to sneak in a wink at Sun's direction. Clearly hinting on Sun to make a move, remembering their talk the day before.

Sun, now with a small blush on his face. Just manages to throw out a smile in response and decides to head over to Blake's room.

As soon as Sun was out of sight. Ghira lets out a sigh and decides to confront Kali regarding her stand on the relationship between Blake and Sun.

"You know, you shouldn't be encouraging that boy to hit on OUR daughter."

"Come on! you have to admit they do look cute together. And I know that Sun really has feelings for her. And if no one else is here to vouch for him then I will."

"There are a lot more better people out there who are better suited for Blake. You do know that right?"

"A lot of people said the same thing about you when we were younger. I guess they were right."

Ghira chokes on his breath as he was surprised about the sudden retort that her own wife said to him.

But Kali quickly heads over to the hulking man and plants a quick but sweet kiss on his husband's cheek.

"Honey relax, you know I'm just joking right?"

Ghira was quickly relieved and decides to respond as calm as possible despite him still being a little bit shaken up.  
"I know I know. Just try not to be that hard on me the next time ok?"

"Fine fine, you won't let me have all the fun won't you"

Ghira just rolls his eyes once again and sits beside Kali on their table. Anticipating the arrival of Blake in order to start their breakfast.

Sun was now feeling that something was not right with what was currently happening right now. He just couldn't bring himself to believe that Blake was simply sleeping which was really out of her character to stay in her bed especially this late in to the morning.

He finally reaches Blake's room. But instead of immediately using the key that was given to him by Kali, he does the polite thing and decides to knock on Blake's door in order to not intrude on the girls personal space if she was already awake.

"Blake are you still sleeping? Breakfast is ready and you're parents are waiting for you."

After a short pause, no response can be heard and Sun tries once again.

"Blake? Come on, are you still mad at me. Just go outside and we can sort things out if you want to."

"Blake? Are you in there?"

A surge of energy struck Sun at that very moment when no response was still heard despite his tries for her to respond. He quickly inserts the key that he was provided with and decides to enter Blake's room in order to make sure that Blake was fine and was really just enjoying her sleep.

But as Sun was starting to unlock the door that lead to Blake's room. A sinking feeling inside of him knew that something was wrong. Sun knew that what Blake was harbouring inside her has finally bared fruit and it would have something to do with this morning's events.

Sun unlocks the door and turns the doorknob quickly. Sun was completely shocked that Blake was nowhere to be seen within her room and this made Sun plunge into a state of panic.

He decided that Blake may be taking a shower and see if the girl was indeed inside her bathroom. But despite his efforts, Blake was not situated within her room despite him leaning against the doorway that lead there during the course of the night.

Sun couldn't believe how cleanly Blake had slipped by his senses despite them being sharp. He noticed that Blake spared no time covering her tracks and she made it seem like that she just vanished in a cloud of smoke, nowhere to be seen.

Worried beyond belief, Sun nervously rummages the room in search for anything that can lead her to Blake's location or her intentions of leaving without even a single peep. He inspected every nook and cranny that he could find but no sign could be found that can be connected to Blake as she did a very good job of leaving no trace behind.

As Sun loses hope in finding the girl and the sensation of defeat was slowly washing over him, he notices that a single piece of paper was dumped in the trashcan that was located on the right side of Blake's table and a small glimmer of hope made itself known to Sun as he decided to pick up the crumpled piece of paper and reads the barely tangible contents that resulted from it being furiously crumpled by Blake's fist.

Sun read every word that was written on the cursed piece of paper and each word sent a razor sharp sword plunging deep into his heart. He couldn't believe that the thing that was bothering Blake for a long time, the thing that made her distraught and worried in every waking moment was a final confrontation that was offered to her by the person that has hurt her the most during the course of her life.

But Sun couldn't help but feel a surge of anger flow through his very being at this moment. Sun was furious over Blake hiding such a big piece of information from him and her family that could have lead to them facing off against Adam together and manage to help her through her fight with the man that bought her nothing but grief and pain.

In a flash of rage, Sun managed to let out a scream of anger and punches the wall due to the rage that he has accumulated over the past few moments after viewing the letter that was the source of Blake's problems.

Kali and Ghira rushed over to Blake's room and was surprised to see Blake nowhere in sight and Sun, panting in a steady rhythm and his fist clearly drived into the wall due to the force of his punch as a clear hole was present because of it.

"Sun! what the hell is happening?!"

"Do you guys know where the wastelands are?"

"Yes it's a few miles near the end of the forest. Why are you asking this and where is Blake?"

Sun snaps out of his rage educed trance and remembers that he couldn't reveal too much about what he just found out due to Adam's letter . Sun needed to go their alone as he wanted to keep Blake's parents safe and bringing them there may forever destroy the bond that they both shared together and may not even have a future in friendship, knowing that Blake would not want her parents to be involved above all else.

"I can't. I can't tell you I'm sorry guys. But I promise, I will bring Blake back and I swear with my life that she will be safe."

Sun inspects his pocket and makes sure that his trusted weapon was with him. As he already knew that this day would not be quiet and he would be engaged in another life or death situation that he could only overcome through combat.

"I got to go, make sure that the food is warm when me and Blake come back. Got it?"

"I got it."

Kali just smiles as Sun opens the windowsill that Blake also exited at and vanishes of into the thick forest that would directly lead him to the wasteland that was devoid of all life.

* * *

The vast forest that covered most of menagerie offered ample shade even during times like these when the sun is raging with all of its might. But this offers little recompense to Sun who was worried sick about what might have happened to the girl that he was chasing.

Sun was running in a steady pace as he tries to race against time in order to catch up with Blake as soon as he can. He can feel the cool breeze that was blowing through his face as he maneuvers through the thick brush and the rough terrain that was littered all around him.

But the obstacles in his path was not able to serve as a distraction to the things that were floating around in his mind right now. Sun had many questions and he tried to answer them with the knowledge that he had. But even with his best, Sun could not come up with any logical answer and the only thing that stemmed from his thoughts were feelings of negativity that he would have never thought about.

 _"What's the matter with this Adam guy? I know that he's dangerous I'll give him that. But why is Blake so bent and determined to take him on alone. Doesn't she trust that we can handle him easily if she just told us?"_

 _"What happened between the two of them? Why is Adam so obsessed with Blake? Where they..."_

 _"No... They couldn't have"_

Sun had large suspicions that Blake and Adam shared a past that was deeply rooted and intertwined with each other. He knew Blake well enough to know that Blake wasn't shallow enough to fight an enemy that she knew was powerful without a valid reason. No, the girl was too logical and smart for that and the reason that Sun suspected that this was not just an act of pride was because of the way how Adam called Blake in the letter that he sent her.

 _"My love."_

These words reverberated inside of Sun's mind like a parasite that refused to leave him alone. It sucked a little bit of strength within Sun as these words haunted him every passing moment. It agitated him more and more as he was disgusted with the twisted way on how Adam would call Blake through this enigmatic letter. And it bugged him even more because of the fact that Blake didn't trust him enough with this secret despite him placing all of his faith within her.

And that was the next subject of the following question that Sun had sitting around inside his head. But this time, he questioned his own intentions and morals and not the circumstances that were happening around him right now. Despite the large weight that they had in the near future.

 _"Am I really this gullible? Am I really this head over heels for Blake that I'm jeopardizing my own life for her sake? "_

 _"After all that I have done for her, she always takes it for granted and never gives anything back in return! I endured so much for her, I even took all the pain that she gave me without even a single complaint. And despite all of those things, she never gives back. All she does is use me as some sort of tool."_

Sun's movements were starting to get a little bit sloppy. Previously he was breezing through the harsh terrain that he was going through even with the extreme amount of speed that he was travelling in. But Sun was now slightly gasping for air and was stumbling from time to time. Tripping on the most minor things like a small gap on the rich soil or a loose vine that hung from one of the many trees that were planted on the huge patch of land.

Sun was being grievously troubled with the many conclusions that was materializing inside his head right now. He was honestly a little bit scared of himself as he was never this emotional about something especially something that regarded Blake. The person that he swore his life upon.

But at these moments. Sun was starting to waver with his stand in justifying his means on following Blake around and bowing down to her every whim.

And if matters couldn't be worse. Sun arrived at the final question that would forever leave a scar on his heart. As the nature of his last question would go against the things that he stood for.

And most of all, It questioned his love for Blake that he never thought would happen at any chance.

Sun slows down from his blazing speed and goes from a fast jog, then to a slow walk that eventually lead to him stopping overall. He know stood in a patch of ground that was illuminated by the light coming from the sun as the trees around him formed a circular opening that made the sunlight concentrate on his very position.

He just sits there, trying to collect his thoughts and recover from the wounds that he was inflicting himself for the past few minutes.

 _"Sun, ask yourself. Why are you still in love with Blake? All you will ever get is sadness and false hopes. Do something for yourself just for once."_

 _"Just walk away from it, she can handle herself. It's not like she needs your help anyways. If she feels that she can do it alone then so be it. I'm tired of all the excuses, all of the ignorance,_

 _"All of the pain."_

 _"Your not even the one that captured her heart. It's Yang and you know that she will be happier with her anyway."_

The now melancholy Sun is now paralyzed under the weight of all his thoughts. They were starting to get heavier and heavier and he was barely holding on. He couldn't take much more of it and his thoughts of Blake are pushing him very dangerously to his tipping point.

But Sun was not a person that was easily dealt with. He was desperately grabbing on to whatever he thought necessary in order to elevate his hopes and reinvigorate his own spirits.

Sun was trying to dredge up every good memory that she had of Blake. Every instance that the girl made a witty joke. Every time that the girl would stare at fish like a ravenous predator eyeing her next meal. Every moment that Blake would open up to her. The rare moments that he would see the compassion and drive that Blake had inside of her. Her need to fulfill her duty as a huntress. The drive to fight for her people and to defend their rights as Faunus. The deep love that she had for the ones that were closest to her.

All of these thoughts were having an inner conflict inside of Sun's head right now. The pain that he felt was trying to filter out the joy that he had also experienced with Blake.

This maelstrom of thoughts were making Sun jittery and he stood up from his comfortable position on the ground and was now pacing on the enclosed space that he was dwelling in.

Sun knew that he needed to get to Blake as fast as he can. But he knew that he would be of no use if his mind was screwed up like this. He wanted, No, needed to get his head back in the game if he had any hopes of beating Adam head to head if the situation called for it.

He paced around until he decided to push his head directly to the trunk of a very sturdy tree. He was banging his head rhythmically across the hardened wood that made up of the tree that he was leaning on. Sun was forcefully trying to end the left over negativity that he had in his head in order to continue on with his task to find Blake.

Throughout the course of Sun's slight mental dilemma. He found a way to push through with his goal. He remembered his promise to Blake. Sun remembered that he wanted nothing above all else to keep this one promise just because he treasured the girl that much.

 _"Be strong for her. Be a shoulder for her to lean on. Be the one that will be there for her no matter what."_

 _"Set aside your feelings for her. Her happiness is what you want to see. Not your own."_

That thought was the last push that he needed in order to reboot his system once and for all. Sun's head was now cleared of anything that previously caused him pain and was now filled with hope, determination, and longing to be with Blake this very moment.

Sun removes himself from the tree that he was stupidly banging his head on. He did not realize that he was doing it for quite some time and with a reasonable amount of force that he didn't feel the pain that came from it.

But know that he was once again awake in the real world, Sun touches the base of his forehead as he stumbles upon noticing that a growing bulge was slowly forming on his head. Resulting from his mindless head banging a few moments ago.

But despite the pain that he was feeling right now. Sun couldn't manage to hide the smile that he was forming in his face right now. He was now back to his old, jolly self and was now ready to once again resume his journey towards the wastelands where he would meet the girl of his dreams and if fate would allow it, fight with the man that was desperate to destroy her hopes and dreams.

Sun once again continues his trek across the vast forest in order to reach the sandy wastelands that ran across the border of the forest's ends. Sun couldn't help but feel the thirst for revenge against Adam who he knew terrorized Blake ever since the fall of beacon. And Sun was never this eager to fight a person with all his might. And at this point, Sun decided that he was the one who will stand victorious if they ever come face to face.

The sun was now sinking in the horizon as he realizes that some time had passed after he started to lose his mind for a bit. Sun was determined to make it to the wastelands before sunset and decides to amp up his speed and was now sprinting with all of his might towards his end goal.

His dexterity and endurance were being put to the test as this side of the forest was more treacherous than the last one. More gaps and holes were littered across the flat ground that he was travelling upon and large boulders were know blocking his path and took a lot out of him if they needed to be climbed in order for Sun to proceed.

But Sun didn't mind all of these things. They served as a breath of fresh air for Sun as he was now starting to fully recover from his depressed state earlier. The cool air was starting to set in menagerie as the raging sun that they were all accustomed to was finally beginning to rest.

Sun could feel a strong breeze that was emanating from his surroundings as the fresh air reverberated across his face and his body which made the travel easier as the temperature had finally settled and was now more advantageous rather than being a hindrance.

Nothing could stop Sun right now as he was blazing through everything that nature would throw at him. He was destined to reach the wastelands within the next few minutes and was preparing himself while enjoying the current calm environment before the inevitable storm that was about to come.

He was making mental notes inside his head as he approaches his destination. With a renewed spirit and anticipation for the events to come. Sun dedicates these last few moments to think about his future. A future that he would share with Blake.

 _"Note to self. Never lose yourself so bad that you end up smashing your face against a tree for ten minutes"_

Sun chuckles a little bit as he still feels the slight budge that was now evident on his head.

 _"Also remember to keep your promise no matter what. Blake is important to you and you know that. Nothing will ever change it. You love her and you can't deny that."_

" _And do yourself a favor and_ _ **FINALLY**_ _tell her that you love her."_


	6. Chapter 6

The slow descent of the sun was finally starting to come to a close as the sky was finally transitioning into the colourful hue that signalled the near arrival of the night sky.

Blake has finally arrived in the wastelands after many hours of nonstop travelling. The girl reached into her backpack and took out the jug that she had pre-emptively filled with water. She tried to quench the massive thirst that she contained within her brought upon by the exhaustion that the trek caused her.

She could feel the soothing flow of water as it slides down her throat. Soaking her dry gullet and alleviating the burning sensation that lingered in her mouth.

But Blake knew that she could not rest for any second. She anticipated that members of the white fang could ambush her at any moment and this was the perfect moment for them to strike. When she was tired and vulnerable.

Blake scanned her surroundings, she thoroughly analyzed her surrounding looking for signs of enemy activity.

The scenery in the wastelands was nothing but bland and vast. Sand covered the whole region and nothing else besides scarce ponds and trees were contained within the godforsaken place.

She unslung Gambol Shroud from her shoulder as she knew things would not be quiet for any longer. Blake expected that men from the white fang would be hiding at the various sand dunes that were scattered around her environment. These dunes served as the perfect tools in order to orchestrate an ambush. And that was the thought that Blake had as she was standing there, prepared to fight at that very moment.

But to her surprise, her sharpened senses couldn't pick up any signs of the white fang within the vicinity. Her ears couldn't recognize any movement besides her own heartbeat and the gust of wind around her.

Blake was bewildered by the fact that no one besides her was standing at that location at this moment. She couldn't believe that the white fang passed on the opportunity to take her out in that instance. But she was as surprised as thankful that the anticipated ambush never came.

But only a few moments of reprieve were given to her as her hearing quickly detects signs of movement coming from one of the dunes that were located just a few feet in front of her.

She quickly turns around and finally sets her sights on the demon that she was going to face in a few moments. The man that brought her so much pain and anguish. The man that she once loved and treasured.

Adam finally emerges from one of the dunes that he was situated at and walks over in a steady pace towards Blake. Blake readies her blade as her heart was now thumping in an uncontrollable pace as fear was gripping her body at that very moment.

" I'm surprised. You actually decided to play fair and not bring some backup with you."

"Oh Blake. Do you really think so ill of me that I would bring other people to our meeting? You should have more faith in me, I take things very seriously when it comes to the two of us."

"Please, stop it with these nonsense claims of me being special and you still loving me. After what you did at beacon. After you killed all those people..."

"After you hurt Yang."

"Why won't you listen to me Blake! I did all of that because of you. You were the only thing that was going through my mind at that time. The simple fact that I could be with you again for a second time was consuming me for the longest time. And if it meant that I would pry you from the hands of your dead friends, well that was a price that I was willing to pay."

This did nothing but fuel the rage that was burning inside of Blake's stomach. She could feel the heat rising from her stomach and spreading throughout the rest of her body. But Blake decided that fighting Adam would only be her last resort. She wanted to resolve this in a peaceful manner without it leading to them trying to take each other's life.

Blake believed that the once gentle being that Adam was still resided within the rotting man that stood before her. Her mind was being clouded with her previous memories with Adam. Memories that were supposed to be buried within her consciousness but are now appearing in her very eyes. This made Blake believe that she could change Adam. And this was the only chance that she had to do this.

"Adam please. I know that the man that I admired so much is still inside of you. I want to so you when you were much more pure. I want to see the old you Adam. Not the broken man standing right in front of me."

"The old me is dead Blake why can't you understand that? The world made me see that everyone should be out for themselves. Our people are tired of licking humanity's boots. It's our time to wear that boot and crush them beneath our heel."

"Please Adam, just come back. Please!"

"No Blake! There is no turning back now. You either come with me or I will make do with my promise to kill your family. Your friends. Everything that you have ever cared for."

Blake was pleading with all her might for Adam to relinquish his vile ways. Blake couldn't believe that Adam has fell from grace more deeper than she thought. The once kind man that she once knew now exhumed nothing but determination and the longing for dominance. Over the human race and over her.

Adam was continuing his steady approach towards Blake. Her heart was starting to feel like it was going to burst out of her chest as ever looming feelings of doom were enveloping her as Adam grows closer to Blake's position.

But despite her feelings of fear towards Adam. Blake returns Gambol Shroud back into its sheath and almost gives Adam the notion to come even closer to her. Still trying to convince herself that she could end this without losing any of their lives. But the truth was slowly dawning on Blake that Adam was beyond saving. Because the lingering glimmer of hope that was supposedly hiding within Adam was slowly vanishing right in front of Blake as the man that was before her was more dangerous and demented than she thought.

* * *

The light that was illuminating his path was slowly vanishing with every single moment that passes. He could already see the border that divided the edge of the forest with the beginning of the wastelands.

The sun was already setting rapidly and he could see the horizon through the thick tree line which signalled that he was close to his destination.

After a couple hours that almost felt like an eternity, Sun had finally reached the wastelands and was hiding within the tree line that resided within the borders of the forest. He knew that Blake would be located in that place and it was only a matter of finding her.

But Sun couldn't ignore the fact that Adam would also be in the scene along with Blake. So Sun just decided to find Blake from the shadows and carefully observe her actions before making his own move.

Sun finally sets his sights on Blake as he found her standing on the flat ground a couple of meters away from the tree that he was leaning from. And as he suspected, the familiar sight of Adam can be seen near Blake. Adrenaline was pumping through Sun's veins at the sight of Adam being too close for comfort near Blake. He could feel the energy pulsating through every fibre of his body as Sun's heart was vibrating at full force. Filled with fear about what was going to happen to Blake with Adam in her near proximity.

The boy was starting to prepare his gun staff, ready to step in and fend off Adam from the girl that she needed to protect who would be undoubtedly terrified at this confrontation.

But despite Sun's instincts kicking into high gear. He forced himself to hold back, at least for a few moments. As he knew that Blake needed closure, and if fighting Adam by herself was the road that she needed to take in order to pass that he would give her his utmost support.

Adam was now face to face with Blake with only a few inches separating them. The tension around them was growing intensely as Sun didn't know what was going to happen next. Was Blake going to talk Adam out of there fated fight? Is Adam going to initiate the first blow?

Many conclusions and outcomes were forming in Sun's mind right now. And almost none of them were pretty. But the scene that was about to unfurl right in front of him would reopen wounds that he just recently healed and once again tore a small part of him to shreds. It revealed another part of Blake that she once again purposefully hid from Sun despite his idea that they both shared a mutual feeling of trust.

Adam took both of Blake's hands and clutches them in a warm and hospitable manner . The feeling that Blake was once accustomed to was a distant memory that is once again making itself known to her.

Despite the conflict that Adam and herself are engaged in right now. Blake could not fight the urge to treat this moment as a warm one. She and Adam might be enemies now, but Blake unwillingly remembers the precious moments that she once shared with Adam. The feeling that was coursing through her right now can be considered a guilty pleasure. As she is conflicted with what she is supposed to feel right in front of Adam and the duty that she needed to uphold at all cost.

Sun was beginning to be more agitated as this moment continues to linger in the air with every second that passes. He was starting to get the urge to interfere the moment that the two were sharing. But Sun had the feeling that Blake would get the wrong idea and would be aggravated at him even more if he did not give her the benefit of the doubt that she could handle the situation herself.

In order to slightly alleviate the anger that was blooming inside of Sun. He swung his right fist directly into the trunk that he was currently leaning on and was serving as his cover in the shadows. Sun made extra precaution to make little to no sound when he struck the palm tree that he was perched on. But Sun held no strength back and the force that resulted from his punch damaged the right side of the trunk substantially and made his right fist bleed moderately.

The warm blood that was dripping from Sun's hand at that moment was keeping him focused at the current situation. It kept him aware of what was happening between the two and enhanced his senses to its optimal level in order to detect trouble if it was about to come close. He kept pressure on the wound on his fist by clenching them. Forcefully stopping some of the bleeding which made him focus even more.

Adam was leaning closer to Blake. Lessening the distance between them by only a few meters and can now come in contact if one of them moved ever so slightly.

Sun was starting to clench his fists even harder than before. It was already a given that Adam wanted to start something intimate between himself and Blake. But what made Sun furious and confused is because of the fact that Blake was not doing anything in order to increase the distance between them much less stave of Adam with being to touchy and physical with her.

But Sun sees that Adam was starting to open his mouth. He watches intently as he tries to overhear the exchange of words that the two were about to have.

"Blake, no matter what happens now. Just know that I will always love you. From the day when we first met until the day that I breathe last. Remember that you will be the only person to ever reach my heart."

Blake intently hears the words that were coming out of Adam's mouth. She could tell that Adam was truly speaking from his heart this time. And Blake appreciated the fact that Adam would finally speak in the innocent tone that he once carried around for one last time just for her.

This was the last time that Adam would ever expose this side of himself. Adam tried to bury this part of him a long time ago and for a time, he believed that this part of him was truly dead. But he made one last exception in order to tell Blake what he really felt inside.

Blake's sentiment for Adam was building up as they both relish this one last moment that they would share with each other.

But the sight of the sun slowly sinking over the horizon was starting to snap her out of state that she was entrapped on right now. As usual, its sight once again reminded her of Yang who she longed for every waking moment that she dwelled in. The sun reminded her that she had the task to protect the people around her and fulfil her duties as a huntsman. And the memory of Yang burned within her like a fire that was unwilling to be extinguished and pushed her to finally end her ties with Adam. As it reminded her that this was the person that killed hundreds of people and ruined the life of the girl that she loved.

But before she decides to finally initiate the spark of battle that would happen between the two of them. Blake decided to repay Adam for being honest with her for one last time. She was about to give him the intimacy that Adam would ravenously long for. It would serve as her parting gift to him because one of them would undoubtedly fall this very day.

Blake slowly lets go of Adams grip over her right hand and gently places it at Adam's left cheek. The sensation of Blake's hand burrowing in Adam's face was almost like a light feather coming from an angel that was gracing him from the heavens.

Blake's heart was thumping at incredible speeds right now. But instead of feelings of fear that she was feeling earlier. They were replaced with nervousness as she was about to follow through with her plans to give Adam one last act of kindness before they both part ways.

And within only a matter of moments, Blake closes the small distance that separated her face with Adam's and quickly presses her lips against Adams cheek. The sensation that it gave her was of slight warmth but eventually lead to her final doubts being realized.

The coldness that Adam had within his personality still showed in the kiss that she gave him. Blake could feel nothing but cold and numbness from Adam and this was the final nail in the coffin that convinced her that his time was over. And that she needed to finish this in order to proceed to the next stage of her journey.

Sun saw everything that unfolded right in front of him. From the sappy dialogue that Adam relayed to Blake and the heart shattering kiss that Blake gave Adam to his left cheek.

No matter how much Sun wanted to scream at that very moment, no matter how much he wanted to walk over there and beat Adam to a pulp, he used all of his willpower in order to stop himself from acting irrationally.

Sun was now gritting his teeth and biting the end of his lips. Sun was trying to numb the pain that he was feeling inside of him by trying to substitute it with physical pain that he desperately needed in order to keep himself moderately distracted.

He was now coming down on his lip so hard that it actually started to bleed. Sun was now slightly bleeding from the lower left side of his lip and was now tasting the copper flavour that came with the blood that was trickling at the side of his mouth. Sun quickly wiped it before it could fall down below his chin.

But no pain could hinder Sun right now. He was still meticulously watching Blake and Adam and Sun was still completely engaged about what was happening between the two of them. But before Sun could have any more notions regarding the moment that the two shared. Blake lets go of Adam completely and walks off into the opposite direction.

Blake walks a few meters opposite of Adam's direction. She made sure that a large distance was separating her from Adam. Any more notions of mercy or hope for Adam were finally extinguished within Blake's heart. And the time to finally face of with him had come and Blake knew that there was no turning back now.

After a few moments of Blake pacing backwards from Adam. She comes to a stop and faces Adam. Ready to initiate the fight that they were destined to undertake.

Blake could feel that Adam's aura has been amplified and already warmed up. She could feel that a miasma of hate was surrounding him and her fears were continuing to grow and were stiffening her nerves.

But Blake needed to conquer the insurmountable odds that was stacked against her right now. Adam was a formidable opponent and was definitely a maser swordsman by his own right. But what Blake feared the most is if she lost the fight between them, she would die and her family would pay the price for her own ignorance. The thought of losing her family and never having the chance to meet her friends is what strengthened Blake's resolve. She composed herself by breathing at a steady rate and remembering the people that she needed to come home to.

These memories raised Blake's spirits and finally made her lose all fear of the things to come. Blake was ready to fight and she was walking into it with a iron heart and with the will of the ones who she was fighting for.

 _"This is for you Mom and Dad. I have a lot of explaining to do and I will make sure to come home and do so"_

 _"My friends. They have been waiting for me for the longest time. It would be rude if I delayed our meeting any further."_

 _"Sun. I'm sorry that I have been taking you for granted for the longest time. I promise that after this, I will give the kindness that you have given me, even after I hurt you many times. I promise that I will come back from this and enjoy our next journey together."_

 _"Yang. I'm sorry that I never got to tell you how I really feel about you. You would were the person that was there for me when I was at my worst. You were the warm light that shined in my world that cold and dark. I know that you may hate me for leaving you and the rest of our team. But today, I'm fighting for you and when we meet again, I will never let go of you ever again."_

The promises that she made in her mind at that moment would be the things that she would wager in her fight with Adam. Blake wanted to win at all costs in order to fulfil each and every one of these pacts that she made within herself.

With a cooled head and new promises to keep, Blake brandishes her blade with her hands and lights the spark that would ignite their battle.

"Adam, we both know that it's time to finish this. I have run from you for all this time and this battle has been put off for too long. Lets end this, for both of our sakes."

"No matter how much it pains me, you're right my love. I have been being unfair to you by not making good on my word. I swear that after I deal with you, I am going after the ones you hold dear next."

"And you will be powerless to stop me."

The sun was now in perfect position and is perfectly perched on the horizon beside them. Its faint light bought color to the place where both of them were currently standing at. It was setting fast and it signalled that night was fast approaching.

Adam's haunting words stuck with Blake and profusely attached itself to the back of Blake's mind as it reminded her of what was at stake. But she paid no mind to it and instead focused on the task at hand.

Blake entered her fighting stance and was now prepared to deliver the first blow to Adam. But Adam knew her too well and anticipated that she would go for the first strike. So he prepared himself by steadying his form by positioning his left leg behind him and holding his blade, ready to unsheathe it when he deemed that the time was right.

Silence was enveloping the scene at the moment. The two were deciding on how they would break the tension and get the upper hand on their opponent.

Blake closes her eyes for a moment. She clears her mind and rids it of any unnecessary thoughts that would hinder her in any way. Her instincts were of the utmost importance right now as it would be the best tool that she would use in order to win this fight.

She steadies her heartbeat, alleviating the nervousness that she is feeling and letting the adrenaline pump to the veins in her body.

In a quick flash, Blake opens her eyes and screams to the top of her lungs. Rushing towards Adam and finally prepared to face the demon that she has been running from.

The silence that covered the wastelands were broken that day. As the clash of two blades reverberated and echoed to the vast nothingness of the dessert. Carrying the emotions and aspirations of the wielders that used them.

* * *

 **So this is it! The awaited clash between Blake and Adam is going to happen in the next chapter.**

 **I have been holding on to this chapter for as long as I can because I feel partly guilty for the last two chapters. I am not as happy as I should be in how they turned up to be. Partly because I feel that they have been rushed and could have been better than what they are right now.**

 **So I decided to give myself a bigger window to check and revise upcoming chapters in order to make them better. This may mean that updates would probably be less frequent than usual as I would take more time in order to refine and improve the next chapters. I think that this would be beneficial to the story as it can improve some points in the story and correct any grammar mistakes.**

 **The best example that I could think of on why I decided to take more time and sit on next chapters for longer is Chapter 2 of this story. I sat on that chapter for quite awhile and reread and revised it a couple of times. And I believe that it's the best chapter to date so I would like to replicate the process on how I made that chapter**

 **If you could take your time and leave a review it would be much appreciated. Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

The wind has gotten more aggressive and has made the environment more surreal and pronounced. Making the situation more suspenseful than it already is.

The clashing of two blades created ripples in the air around them, causing them to split and bounce off into separate directions. Clearly showing the force that the two fighters are giving with every swing that they make with their swords.

Blake and Adam are in the heat of battle, the both of them doing everything that they can in order to best the other and claim victory for their own goals. Blake wanting to be set free from the clutches of Adam and the curse that he set upon her. And Adam, desperately trying to quench his thirst for vengeance after Blake's supposed betrayal against him.

The two were giving it their all in the duel that they were locked in. Both of them were trying to outdo the other with their own perspective skills and abilities in order to swing the tide of battle in their favor.

But unknown to their attention, a third person was standing in the battlefield that they were treading on and was actively watching the spectacle that lay before him.

Still hidden in the trees that were located on the border between the wastelands and the vast forest. Sun watches with extreme anxiety as he witnesses the heated battle between Adam and Blake.

He could feel the blood rushing through his veins. His heart was thumping uncontrollably as every vibration that was made by the two blades colliding with each other was felt by every fibre of his body.

Sun could feel his body tremble slightly with every clinking sound that Gambol Shroud makes and every slash that Adam commits to when he swings his formidable blade.

A sinking feeling was setting inside Sun's stomach while he continues to watch. Fear was starting to create a bottomless pit that was devouring his insides as Blake's life was currently on the line at that moment.

He already knew that Adam had a reputation for being a merciless man that would slay the lives of the innocent if it meant that it would further his own goals. That brutality was further backed up by the skill that he had when it came to combat. Sun had the knowledge that Adam was a force of destruction when it came to using his sword to its full potential. And that made him all the more worried for Blake.

The sinking feeling that was growing inside his stomach was starting to gnaw on Sun with every second that passes. All of Sun's senses were trying to force his intervention in order to help with the fight and to protect Blake from any kind of harm that can be bought upon her.

It took all of Sun's willpower to keep him rooted to the tree where he was concealed in. Despite his overwhelming amount of concern for Blake's physical well being, he couldn't deny the fact that Blake was still broken inside. And one of the reasons why she decided to tackle this problem alone is to create closure for herself.

Sun knew that if he decided to step in at that very moment, it would ruin the chances of Blake having any joy and fulfillment. And that would surely rub Blake in a bad way and further progress the divide that they already had in their midst.

Sun reaches over to his pocket, clutching his Gun-staff with both of his arms. Readying himself for the almost inevitable fight that he would likely get himself into. But that fight has yet to come as Blake and Adam continue to trade blows with each other as their fight escalates to further heights.

The sand on her feet was making her movements more sloppy and slow than what she was used to. Blake knew that she was in a disadvantage as she vastly relied on her environment in order to get the upper hand on her opponent. Her fighting style made use of trickery and deceit that was aided by the objects in her surroundings.

The wastelands were the perfect area in order to cripple a major part of Blake's arsenal. It was a flat battleground that was only occasionally obstructed by the sand dunes that were around her. But this provided minimal to no help as Adam was unrelenting with the pressure that he put on Blake.

The only thing that Blake could do was to try and go into the offensive rather than get herself overwhelmed by the flurry of attacks that Adam could unleash against her if she didn't act accordingly.

In order to switch into the offensive, Blake infuses her semblance with a freezing property. It would trigger upon force being applied to it and she decided to lure Adam into a trap in order to try and deal some damage of her own.

Adam continues his symphony of strikes as he delivers a set of horizontal and vertical slices in order to precisely hit Blake in places where her defense were at their weakest. After an upwards vertical slash, Adam notices that Blake had stumbled after she blocked the initial force that came with his strike. Adam recognizes an opening in Blake's defense and decides that he can make a crippling blow that would surely hit Blake.

After his upward strike hit Blake, Adam used the force that he exerted into the strike in order to twist his body backward in which his back was directly parallel to Blake. Adam takes the his Blade and makes a backwards thrust while facing the opposite direction.

Blake's plan on baiting Adam succeeded. The figure that Adam hit was the clone that Blake converted into a freezing trap. Her true self jumps backwards in order to trigger the clone that she had put in place. It proved to be effective as Adam was caught in the cold grasp of her clone as his Blade was plunged deep inside the hollow shell of the ice clone that Blake had made.

This trap presented Blake with the opportunity to go into the offensive. And she wastes no time and hastily starts her own string of attacks in order to flip the tables on Adam.

She dashes forth and thrusts with Gambol Shroud in order to make contact with Adam. But his reflexes were sharp and pulls his blade away from the hollow shell of the clone and shatters it. Adam manages to guard against the thrust just in the nick of time. And because of that timing, Adam stumbles a bit and enables Blake to continue the offensive.

Blake dual wields Gambol Shroud by using the sheath in order to maximize her pressure and add more attacks for Adam to block. Blake launches a set of attacks coming from her left side. Alternating sides with each hit in order to maintain her string of attacks and to make Adam block even more. But Blake knew that Adam would find a way in order to break through her offense and it will only take a matter of time for him to do so.

In order to confuse Adam, Blake decided to feint one of her attacks with the aid of her semblance in order to slip past Adam's unwavering guard. When she was about to land a strike from her right side, Blake decides to shroud it with the use of her clone. With a hazy blur, Blake was able to reappear right in front of Adam and decides to go for air combat in order to juggle Adam and hinder his guard further.

Blake vaults using Adam as her platform and launches him upwards into the air. After landing from her initial vault, Blake sends a clone of herself towards Adam in order to keep him in the air for a fraction of time. The clone that she made came into contact with Adam and it struck him while it was coming towards him. Adam successfully blocks the attack that was thrown at him by the clone but its main purpose was fulfilled.

The clone that Blake threw at Adam gave her a window in order to dash towards him and continue her attacks in the air.

Adam's balance and sense of direction would be slightly altered while they were both in the air. The lack of gravity would hinder his balance and it would prove more difficult to block Blake's fast striking attacks while they were both in the air.

Blake spirals towards Adam with her Blades coming in contact with Adam each time she makes a full rotation. In order to extend her attacks, she throws out another clone behind his back in order to keep Adam in the air.

She teleports towards that clone after she lands another strike from Gambol Shroud in order to confuse Adam's guarding direction. But Adam sees through this and lands of a parry out of Blake's intended attack and manages to knock her down into the ground. Adam manages to even the playing field once again as they were both back in equal footing.

A small distance now separated Adam from Blake after he managed to end her attempts at juggling him in the air. But Blake was still determined to continue her efforts of aggression against Adam and she quickly recovers and goes for the initiate.

In order to increase her chances of having another turn to deal damage to Adam, Blake creates three clones in order to force a decision for Adam to take. Blake and her new formed clones dashes towards Adam in a straight line in which her location amongst the clones were unknown to her opponent.

But Adam decided to take no chances and readies himself for a single strike. He sheathes his Blade in order to build up force and momentum and places his left leg behind his back in order to steady his balance.

Adam knew that he could take out all the clones at once in order to halt Blake's attempted assault against him.

Blake and her clones draw closer to Adam. She prepares Gambol Shroud and instructs her clones to circle Adam in order to diminish his area of attack.

But Adam's anticipation got the better of her. As Blake and her clones encircle Adam, she finally decides to press the attack and simultaneously pounce at Adam in order to misdirect Adam's attention towards her clones in order to land the blows that she needed in order to put him down.

Adam only smirks at this futile attempt of Blake to open up his defense and finally delivers the blow that he has prepared for that situation. Adam swings his blade full force and brings the whole weight of his body towards his right side in order to fully rotate his blade. This resulted in Blake being knocked back and all of her illusions to disappear after coming in contact with his crimson blade.

"Is that the best you can do Blake? I taught you so much during our time together with the White Fang. Did you forget all of that?"

"Shut up! I'm going to beat you and I will make you eat your words."

"We'll see about that"

Because of the attack that Adam made. Blake was knocked back a few feet away from him but was still well in range for her to make another attempt on engaging him in close quarters. Adam made sure that he would get the advantage in this situation by deciding to make use of his ranged capabilities and zone out Blake before she could regain her composure.

As Blake was standing up from her position in the sand covered ground, a loud gunshot was heard and she narrowly dodges a shotgun shell that she can see landed only a few inches from where she was laying at.

Blake looks over to Adam and she sees that he had fired a shot from the shotgun that was integrated within Wilt and Blush. Adam continues to bombard her with a storm of shotgun shells and the situation forced her to run in circles in order to avoid the incoming gunfire from Adam.

But range was not a problem for Blake as Gambol Shroud also had ways to deal damage from afar and increase her attack range mainly because of the pistol form of Gambol Shroud and the fact that it can transform into a whip-like state.

Blake reverts her weapon into its ranged form and decides to retaliate with her own set of gunshots. She could feel her ears ringing with every shot that she and Adam makes as they both try to hit each other precisely while also dodging the incoming fire that was coming their way.

Despite her best efforts, Adam still managed to hit Blake sparingly as his shotgun had a wider spread than Blake's pistol and it made it more easier for him to hit his mark. Small pellets were starting to hit Blake between intervals and started to beat on her aura.

She managed to avoid any injuries as the shrapnel that was coming from the shells were few and far between as the range that she had on Adam was mitigating the amount of bullets that were in range to hit her.

But even with that, Blake could feel sharp stings that were coming from the places where the shrapnel made contact with her body. Her aura managed to shield her from sustaining any lasting injuries but they hurt nonetheless.

Adam was currently in control of the battle as Blake hasn't even done anything in the last few moments to even scratch Adam. All of the bullets that she was laying down on him were being deflected by Adam's sword. With each bullet that was being deflected off of his sword, Adam glowed slightly as he siphons the force that came with every bullet that made contact with his blade as they continuously fuel his semblance that was sure to be known as his trump card for their showdown.

Blake immediately notices the faint glow that was emanating from Adam as she realizes that she would be digging her own grave if she continues to force this battle from afar.

She reverts Gambol Shroud to its whip form and Blake tries to formulate a plan to re-engage Adam in order to finish him off. Adam's semblance has finally made itself known and was now another card that she had to deal with along with the other problems that she was continually facing as the fight runs its course.

The only way the Blake could think off in order to close the distance that was separating the two of them was to utilize Gambol Shroud in its whip form. She would use its range in order to hopefully grapple onto a part of Adam and use her own strength in order to propel herself forward towards him.

Steady gunfire was still being launched towards her by Adam. More and more damage was being dealt to her by the shotgun shells that were raining down on her and her aura was steadily decreasing. Blake knew that she had to act now or else she would be overwhelmed by the ranged salvo that was being rained down upon her.

Blake swings Gambol Shroud in its whip form in order for her to build up its momentum so it can reach Adam from afar. She does this for a couple of moments as she continues to endure the pain that was surging through her body with every single moment that she does not act.

Gambol Shroud has finally reached the apex of the force that it needed in order to propel towards Adam. Blake finally makes her attempt to get up close and personal with Adam once again and releases the pent up force that her whip accumulated overtime.

The tip of Gambol Shroud soars into the air in an accelerated rate as it makes its way towards Adam. It cuts through all of the air resistance that would be hindering it to travel any further and continues to charge towards Adam.

Adam was able to see Blake's weapon coming from afar and quickly springs into action as he once again saw an opportunity in order to seize the initiative from Blake and further reduce her chances of coming back from the defeat that was slowly catching up and making itself known to her.

He quickly positions his blade precisely in the right spot in order to exploit the rope that connected the gun part of Gambol Shroud to its main body. Adam was successful in his plan and he managed to dodge the projectile that was launched at him and the rope that was attached to it got wrapped unwillingly to Adam's blade which he fully intended to abuse.

With his raw strength, Adam pulled Wilt forcefully towards him. He applied a large amount of force in order to carry the weight of Blake towards him and force her into an unfavorable situation.

Blake was forcefully shoved towards Adam as he made full use of the weakness that was presented before him. She stumbles forward as Adam forcefully drags her closer to his position. Unable to defend herself as her whip engulfed his blade with a tight grip and she can't see herself freeing it anytime soon.

Adam decides to plunge his sword towards Blake as she was currently locked into coming towards him as he controlled her movements with her grip still focused on the handle of her blade. Adam tugs at his sword even more in order to increase the speed that Blake had coming closer to him. It also prepared his sword as it was now capable of launching a fatal thrust towards Blake head and it was sure to seal their match.

Blake sees that Adam was preparing to deliver a powerful blow against her and it was sure to end the match right then and there if she would not dodge it at the proper time.

But the sudden change of speed that was bought upon by Adam pulling at his sword even more made it harder for Blake to estimate the moment that she needed in order to avoid the sharp blade that would plunge towards her skull if she mistimed her dodge.

Adam decides that Blake was in the perfect spot in order to be hit by his strike. He finally commits to his attack and pushes his arms forward in order to stab Blake directly in the head.

Blake was anticipating this attack and was prepared to dodge it in order to avoid her death so early into the fight. But simply knowing that the sword would come hurling towards her did not make it all the more easier for her to dodge it.

Adam put a considerable amount of force towards his stab with Wilt. That force generated immense speed that would make Blake's dodge window even more narrower than before. Blake was fully aware that it would be difficult for her to dodge the blade cleanly. So she just put all of her faith in her senses and tried to dodge Wilt's blade the best that she can.

Blake tried to dodge the attack by leaning in her back deeply so that her head would be directly below the blade and to prevent unnecessary damage that may result if she decided to dodge to her side. She decided on this as Adam could easily slash to his side if Blake decided to dodge to her left or right. And that would surely deal a significant amount of damage towards her.

But despite her best efforts, Blake was slightly grazed and a cut appeared in her right cheek. Blood was trickling down the wound but Blake ignored it as she needed to recover from the position that she was currently stuck in.

With her dexterity, she kicks Wilt out of Adam's hand and knocks it into the air. Then Blake quickly regains her posture and lands a clean punch towards Adam's stomach. This made Adam recoil in pain as Blake's fist landed a clean shot towards the base of his abdomen and it shook his body because of the power that came in contact with it.

But in order to fully reset the flow of the battle, she quickly kicks Adam towards the side with her right leg and catches the now freed Gambol Shroud as it falls down with Wilt resulting from the kick that she delivered earlier in order to disarm Adam and free herself.

She quickly reverts Gambol Shroud back to its blade form and Adam quickly recovers and takes Wilt back into his hands after it fell to the ground with the blade sticking out in the sand.

The two rest for a bit as the fight was taking a large chunk from their stamina. Blake was steadily panting, trying to catch her breath and trying to steady her heartbeat after the close call that she was met with just moments ago.

While Adam tries to clean the sand that was now covering his coat and was scoffing at the fact that he failed to finish off Blake with the opportunity that was laid out before him. But that didn't matter to him at all. As his trump card was almost ready to be set on the table and it was only a matter of time before he could unleash it.

"You look tired. Are you sure that you can keep up with me? I don't want to waste your energy if you already decided to lose"

"I have absolutely no right to lose to you. If I do, everything that I believed in and fought for would be defiled if I chose to back out now"

"Time is ticking you know that right? It's only a matter of moments before all of your options run out and finally realize that you are finally done for"

Blake sees with her eyes that Adam was right. A red haze was now enveloping Adam and its color was slowly getting brighter and brighter with every moment that passes. All of the force that she unleashed upon Adam was now building up and preparing to be released right back at her.

She knew that her time was running out and it would be perilous to draw out the fight further when Adam's semblance was finally fully charged.

Blake needed to finish this right now. Drawing the fight out any further would be a death sentence and she was slowly running out of steam herself. She had to give it her all with this last attempt at finishing off Adam as the situation called for immediate urgency.

But Adam was not the kind of opponent to let up easy. He immediately resumes the fight and charges straight towards Blake with a fiery determination to take her down. Adam quickly unsheathes Wilt and spins towards his right side and brings his whole body down with it and once again clashes with Gambol Shroud.

Blake was mildly surprised with Adam's sudden swiftness as she was still catching her breath and was caught slightly off guard by this swing.

But she quickly comes back to her senses as Adam was not finished with his attacks and Blake needed to intensify her defense in order to last against brutal attacks that were coming her way.

Adam ferociously swings with Wilt on his left hand. He delivers a couple of hefty strikes towards Blake but the girl was still holding her ground as she desperately tries to be in sync with Adam in order to withstand his attacks.

Wilt was not enough to break Blake's guard as they were both evenly matched when opposing each other with their swords. So Adam decided to use tricks of his own to increase the intensity of his strikes.

After a few sets of attacks that Blake narrowly guards against. Adam decides to up the ante by using Blush in close combat. Adam swings Wilt vertically towards Blake twice and she was able to block them both successfully. But Adam quickly snaps his right hand and fires two gunshots aiming at Blake's head. Within only a few milliseconds, Blake was able to dodge her head to her left and right in order to dodge the perfectly placed shots that were focused on her head.

Blake quickly retaliates after barely dodging the bullets coming from Blush. She uses the part of Gambol Shroud in her left hand in order to redirect Adam's hand that was gripping Blush and because of that Adam stumbles a bit. She decided to try and trade blows with Adam and throws out her own set of attacks to even the score.

Both of her hands were both in perfect harmony as Blake transforms into a cyclone of ruin. She alternates between Gambol Shroud's blade and sheath in order to chain her attacks to leave Adam with no room to recover.

Blake swings with her right hand as her blade comes in contact with Adam's. She then immediately swing with her left hand then spins with both her blade and sheath to simultaneously strike Adam with a large amount of force. This struck Adam with full force but he was still able to shield himself despite Blake bringing the full weight of her body down with Gambol Shroud as she struck him. That move gave her a window of opportunity to quickly follow it up with a quick thrust in order to finally deal some damage against him.

With both weapons in hand, Blake quickly thrusts from her position and both of her weapons connect their strikes and hit Adam dealing a considerable amount of damage to his aura.

In order to further the damage that she was dealing. Blake ends her string of attacks by slashing both to her left and ride side with Gambol Shroud and simultaneously deals damage to Adam twice.

Adam recoils from this and stumbles backward. Obviously dazed by the sudden pain that he is feeling as both parts of Gambol Shroud plunge through him and slash his abdomen with only his aura protecting him from any kind of lethal damage.

With a thirst for blood, Blake rushes over and tries to give Adam another direct hit with an overhead swing that she was about to execute. Adam hastily steps back with his left foot and sheathes Wilt back into Blush. He was able to anticipate the oncoming swing that Blake was about to perform and prepared himself to take appropriate action to deflect the attack while giving himself room to breathe.

Blake brings down her right hand directed towards Adam with a huge amount of force. But Adam masterfully unsheathes Wilt with lightning speed and perfectly parries the heavy swing that Blake was about to land towards him. Her right hand was now fully suspended in the air and she was open to any kind of follow up that Adam could think of.

In a fluid series of movements, Adam ducks his head and leans his body towards Blake. He sheathes Wilt once again and rushes quickly towards Blake. The parry that he executed was able to expose Blake's chest and he decided to go for that area on her body.

He dashes towards Blake and as he gets close in coming in contact with her, he quickly unsheathes Wilt and slashes horizontally towards her body. Wilt's sharp blade manages to sink at Blake's stomach and she was able to feel waves of pain that were focused on her abdomen.

Wilt was able to deliver a hefty amount of pain to Blake as it slashed her stomach cleanly and was successful in making her aura plunge even deeper. But Adam was not done with his sequence and quickly instantly shifts his body and turns around to face the backside of Blake.

Adam tries to give Blake another taste of pain by following up his attack with a fast overhead strike. But surprisingly, she was able to recover from the slash that was dealt to her and quickly turns to face Adam and block the incoming strike with Gambol Shroud in her right hand.

But his reflexes were too great to be halted by a simple block. He once again decided to respond to Blake's block by using Blush and attempted to fire a direct gunshot to her chest. Adam suddenly snaps his right hand and positions its barrel to be aimed at Blake's chest. She takes quick notice of this and kicks the body of Blush to her side. Narrowly dodging the bullet that Adam fired that was meant for her chest. Blake was now irritated with Adam's spontaneous use of Blush in close range. With her right leg, she kicks the base of Blush to launch it to her left side.

Adam redirects his gaze towards Blush that was now situated in the ground. It provided an ample distraction and gave Blake an opportunity to break from their embrace. With her free hand, Blake takes the opportunity and tries to plunge Gambol Shroud directly towards Adam. But he quickly comes back to his senses and grabs Blake's wrist. Stopping the blade merely inches from his chest before it could come any closer.

Blake had both of her hands trapped in a deadlock. Her right hand gripping her weapon and clashing with Adam's sword. And the other grabbed by the wrist that was unlikely to be freed as it was being grasped with Adam's left hand that was locked tightly.

The only way the she could free herself was to use her legs. And Blake did just that by sinking with her body and using her left leg to do a sweep. And that made Adam lose his balance and lay flat in his back. Adam lands with a loud thud and was now facing the sky directly. Blake quickly springs into action and positions her weapon to directly stab at Adam while he was slumped in the flat sand. She leans forward and tried to pierce Adam's aura at his vulnerable state. But Adam rapidly rolls over to his right side and on his way over, he manages to recover Blush and re-balances himself with it to pull himself out of the ground.

His balance had finally returned to its normal state and both of his weapons were once again able to reign freely. Adam utilized the range that he had on Blake and fired a few shots from the now smoking barrel that Blush possessed. Blake decides to conserve her energy and use her semblance instead to ward off the bullets that were coming her way. She infused her semblance in order for it to turn into hard concrete. It was able to effectively block the bullets that was meant for Blake and remained sturdy despite it being peppered with bullets by Blush.

Blake grunts as she leans towards her concrete clone. Relying in it more than ever to save her life. She couldn't take more of this pressure and it was the time to finish the fight now more than ever.

 _"He's going to grow more powerful if I drag this out any further. I need to finish him off now or it will be the death of me"_

Blake clutches her chest as her heart beats faster than ever before. The steady rhythm of gunfire was uncomfortably soothing to her ears and made it easier for her to keep her head in the game. The girl breathes steadily as she now comes to terms with what she needs to do right now in order to attain the victory that she so desperately longed for.

 _"End this now. Bring an end to all your fears. Face him right now and make him eat every word that he has said to you"_

 _"Let's finis this. Now!"_

She makes use of the solid clone that she had made by using its shoulders as a platform for her to jump on. Blake's strong legs bend in order to build up her momentum and in a quick prompt, she launches herself high into the air. Blake gracefully glides into the sky as she prepares for the final round of her bout with Adam.

She was now directly above Adam's head and prepares Gambol Shroud as she quickly descends upon him with the intention to finish him off. With a loud scream, Blake starts to spin with both of her blades ready to strike Adam as she continually spirals towards him.

He positions Wilt in an overhead position. Ready to take the full brunt of Blake falling down upon him and positioning his left hand to the base of Wilt's blade in order to support itself as he would be taking Blake with the full weight of her body pressing down with her weapons.

The moment finally comes and both parts of Gambol Shroud come in contact with Wilt as Blake continuously spins as she descends upon Adam. He grunts as it took a large amount of strength to keep himself steady after taking the force that came with Blake's attacks. She quickly bounces off after Adam blocks her attacks and lands swiftly on her feet. Blake was still unwavering with her desire to end it all and screams to the top of her lungs as she dashes towards Adam.

"Let's end this Adam!"

"I agree. It's about time that I finish you off"

A flood of attacks storm Adam as Blake ferociously engages him at close range. Her fighting style can now be compared to a cornered animal that was fighting desperately and savagely to fend for its life. Adam was now struggling to keep up as each attack that came from Blake was steadily increasing in speed and intensity as it continued to challenge his endurance.

Adam managed to keep his footwork balanced and steady even with the large amount of pressure that Blake was giving him right now. His defense was slowly getting fragile as the constant strain of guarding against Blake's fast attacks were accumulating.

However, all things were going according to plan for Adam as Blake was slowly losing herself to the flow of rage and adrenaline that was being pumped to her body in spades. Adam was now building up his semblance in a rapid rate and he was only finding the right time to finally unleash it.

Blake was continually increasing her stamina output by mercilessly continuing her hail of attacks upon Adam. Victory was almost in her grasp as she knew that Adam was barely holding on and was about to fall to her attacks. But Blake felt something off about the situation. Adam was not trying to counteract her attacks despite him having the ability to perfectly disrupt her attacks demonstrated earlier by his use of Blush.

This feeling was sinking in Blake's mind and that made her pay closer attention towards Adam. As she looked at him. Blake realized the error of her ways as Adam was now glowing bright red. Signifying that he had reached the amount of energy that he needed to unleash his semblance. If she continued to attack Adam, the energy that would come back to her would be impossible to block or dodge as every ounce of force that Blake gave to Adam would be multiplied and increased tenfold and all of it will be released towards her.

She decides to make the logical decision and after a left strike that Adam had once again successfully blocked, Blake steps back in order to break off her engagement with Adam. But that move was anticipated by Adam because as soon as she broke her contact with him, He readies his semblance and was in the process of sheathing Wilt back into Blush. With the intent to let loose the energy that he has encumbered for the course of the fight.

This was the deciding moment of their match. One misstep could lead to the utter defeat of either one of them and careful planning and execution would be the key to press on towards victory.

Adam has now committed himself to using his semblance then and there. The impact that would result from it would absolutely kill Blake in point blank range and he had the means to hit that move no matter what Blake did.

A strong red aura was now visible in the air during this time. Adam was slowly channeling the energy pent up inside of him into one big strike that would end it for Blake. The girls mind was now in chaos as Blake tries to figure out a solution to the dilemma that she was facing.

A big void was now slowly swallowing Blake's mind. She couldn't think of any idea besides trying to dodge the strike or block it somehow but she knew that none of these will work. But an idea quickly pops into her mind and as stupid and reckless as it sounds, it was the only thing that she could do to ensure her victory. And once again, Blake was forced to gamble in the face of impossible odds.

After careful observation and painful memories. Blake could think of two specific instances in which Adam had used his semblance. The first was the day when she ran away after the two of them raided the freight train and the other was the constant nightmare that haunted her many times over. The Fall of Beacon.

In those two instances. Blake can vividly remember that in order to charge the energy through Wilt, Adam must sheathe it in order to transfer the absorbed energy from his body towards his blade. This took quite a long period of time even in Adam's standards and that would be the only window of attack that she can take which would not result in her death. It would be an impossibly low chance to actually work, but it was the only one that she had that would lead to her victory.

The air around them was now going haywire and splitting to many different directions. Blake could feel the violent gusts of wind that were blowing against her face that were being made by the sheer force that Adam had within his body.

Blake and Adam were now facing each other directly. A moment of reprieve is transpiring between the two of them because of the fact that this is the last time that they will set their eyes on each other. As the event that would follow will cause either one of them to die or disabled for a long period of time. And none of them could afford either of those choices.

The time has finally come and Adam finally prepares himself to use his semblance. He places his left leg gracefully behind himself in order to provide ample balance that he would surely need to aim precisely. With Wilt on his right hand, Adam prepares to sheathe it and lock it into place in order to charge it up.

But before Adam could begin sheathing Wilt, Blake rushes over towards him at breakneck speeds. Fully prepared to risk it all with this one chance to defeat him.

The sand hindered her movements bit by bit as no solid traction could be established between her boots and the ground. But it mattered absolutely nothing to Blake. With all of her heart and soul, she pushes onward with no second thoughts and fully commits to the decision that she had made.

Blake had only a quarter left before she could be in direct contact with Adam. She was so close and Adam had only put Wilt's tip within its sheathe. She was so close to victory that she could taste it as Blake knew that Adam would not have enough time and momentum to properly pull of his signature move and it motivated Blake harder to push for the win.

Adam was surprised at first because he never thought that Blake would do such a ballsy act. She would never rush headlong into her death if she didn't knew that there was a possibility of winning. Blake was right with her observation that it took a period of time for him to transfer all of the energy that he needed towards Wilt. And she made the right choice to charge towards him as that process made him vulnerable for a short while.

But instead of panicking, Adam faces Blake with nothing but a smirk on his mouth. It was already too late for him to execute his semblance as Blake had already covered too much of the distance that separated them. But that didn't mean that he could not perform a different move.

And with a flash of light, Adam sheathes Wilt in lightning speed. Blake had no intention of stopping in her tracks even with the obvious change in Adam's plan. There was no turning back now and she had no other option but to push through even if Adam would have something in his sleeve.

And with that, Blake falls into Adam's trap and he utters something under his breath as he knew that his victory was finally sealed.

"I know you to well"

Adam spontaneously unsheathes Wilt despite Blake's original thoughts and he catches her at the perfect time and stabs her directly in the right side of her chest.

Blake's aura was already in critical condition and it did almost nothing to lessen the pain that it inflicted upon her body. It pierced her skin and plunged towards her flesh. Blood was now spewing out of the wound that was inflicted upon her but her aura was enough to prevent Wilt from fully piercing and making its way through her bones.

No amount of words could describe the pain that Blake felt through that small hole in her chest. She screamed in complete agony as she grips the base of Wilt's blade and pulls it out of her chest. Blood was uncontrollably gushing out of it and she desperately tries to apply pressure to it with her left hand to minimize the bleeding.

But Adam was not done. He once again sheathes Wilt and within a span of a few milliseconds, Adam once again unsheathes his sword and thrusts at Blake. Now hitting her right thigh and now fully piercing it inflicting more pain and blood loss to Blake as her aura was now fully depleted as of that movement.

The world becomes a hazy blur as Blake continues to suffer with the pain that was shooting out from all of her nerves and the constant blood loss that was now coming from her two nasty wounds.

She slumps into the sand covered ground in her weakened state as the full weight of her body presses down on her lower half. Blake no longer possessed the strength to pull her body back up as she was profusely bleeding and her right thigh was severely damaged. Further hindering her ability to get back up from the ground.

She could now feel her own blood pooling around her while she laid on the ground. Her vision was starting to get fuzzier and fuzzier as Blake starts to lose her grip on life itself. Her consciousness was starting to drift further and further away from reality as her body could not handle the injuries that it has sustained especially without any of Blake's aura to help in mending the gaping wounds in her chest and thigh.

 _"This is the end..."_

 _"I'm going to die..."_

 _"He will kill them all..."_

These were the only things that Blake had in her mind. She knew that her life was done for and this will be her last resting place.

The circumstance that Blake was in was nothing less than sad. She would die in a vast and empty place. Where no life was present and hated nothing but the concept of it. With no one there to comfort her and join her in her last moments. And the thought that the rest of the ones that she died for could suffer the same fate.

Blake was now gasping for air. Each breath that she took was harder than the last as she slowly struggles to keep herself conscious. She was in critical condition and it would take an hour for her to completely lose all of her blood and die if nothing was done for the bleeding to slow down and patch her wounds up.

This would be the slow death that she would face. If not for Adam who was now slowly walking towards Blake while dragging his sword along the ground. Producing a sound that was slowly counting down to her death as it gets louder and louder.

White was now slowly overpowering Blake's vision. The sky was no longer sporting its bright hues but was now simply and plainly white. Nothing more, nothing less. And along with that came the rest of her surroundings from the sand and the vast expanse around her. Slowly creeping its way towards the center of her vision. The grim sight of Adam making his way towards him with the intent to end her life no matter how little of it was left.

Fear was now setting in within Blake's psyche. The realization that her death was now only a few meters in front of her made chills run down her spine and it made the hair on her arms stand up.

The white that was consuming her vision was now getting stronger and stronger and was now blinding her own eyes. All that she could do was helplessly stare at Adam who was now only a few meters in front of her.

Adam's footsteps were now audible and in a span of a few moments, he had finally crossed the distance and was now menacingly looming over Blake. Ready to deal the finishing blow and end Blake's existence from this world.

"Goodbye my love. I hope to see you in the other side"

Blake could hear the all too familiar sound of Adam's sword being unsheathed out of its container. She could feel her heartbeat getting erratic and was now going insane as it beats in abnormal speeds. Blake was getting so nervous that she felt like vomiting on the spot even if it would diminish her pride. As if it would even matter after her death.

Adam was going through the motions and slowly prepares to drive Wilt directly through Blake's chest. The anticipation of her oncoming death was filled with anguish and pain as her anxiety did nothing but worsen the situation. And it also did not help that there were still two open wounds in her body that hurt like hell.

And finally, after all things were said and done. Adam was ready to deliver Blake right through death's door and eventually, her family too.

He grips Wilt's handle with both of his hands as he prepares to plunge his blade directly at Blake's heart. The blinding light has now flooded Blake's vision. So strongly in fact that all she could see was the faint outlines of Adam's mask and the intricate designs on his jacket along with the crimson blade that would signal her death.

"First you, then the rest of your family. You won't be so lonely in the afterlife Blake. After all, I make do with my promises"

"Burn in hell"

"Hmph, what a waste of words."

All that Blake could focus on right now was the blade that was going to plunge right through her. She draws her last breaths and tries to come to terms with her imminent death. But before she could even finish that, Adam finally pushes Wilt right through Blake and all that she could do was stare and scream at the top of her lungs.

But before anything could happen, she hears a loud bang and everything turns to black.

* * *

The sun had provided a nice backdrop for the sky and it produced magnificent colors that would surely be a sight to see if the events that day did not lead up to this. Instead, it became the background for a fight to the death that has now reached its conclusion in which the victor had already been chosen.

Sun was now at the edge of his seat as Adam slowly drags his sword along the ground as he makes his way towards Blake. His senses were now in high gear as he needed to act now in order to prevent Blake's death at the hands of that monster.

He clutches his weapon and sprints towards Adam with immediate haste. His intervention was finally required and it was the only thing that would save Blake from her inevitable death. Sun breaks his Gun-staff into its original form that was composed of two separate shotguns that were in the form of Nun-chucks.

The distance that separated him from Adam was too great and he would be too late to stop Adam from killing Blake even if he tried to push himself to the limit. All that he could do was to disarm Adam with his shotgun to prevent him from using his blade against Blake.

 _"Come on Sun, you can do this. Aim right at his soft spot"_

As Sun draws near their location. Adam has already started the motion that would stab Blake directly in the chest. Sun couldn't let that happen at all costs and with all of his senses amped up to the max, he lets out one gunshot that directly hit its mark.

"What the hell !?"

Adam was stunned by the sudden bang that came from his right which was quickly followed by Wilt getting directly knocked out of his hand and stinging pains coming from the point of impact. His attention was directed to the blonde haired man that was standing a few meters in front of him with the barrel on one of his guns smoking.

"So, monkey boy is Blake's new toy huh"

Sun ignores the insult that Adam throws towards him but instead, he rushes over to Blake with massive feelings of deep remorse and worry as he could have prevented all this pain that Blake was now feeling if he had stepped in earlier.

Because of her massive anxiety supplemented by the blood loss that her body experienced, Blake slipped into unconsciousness due to shock as she couldn't take the thoughts of her imminent death with any kind of bravery. Therefore her body gave in to its faults and the girl was now in a deep sleep.

Fearing for Blake's life, Sun does everything in his power to provide first-aid for her badly damaged body.

"Come on Blakey stay with me, stay with me. Don't you dare leave me now Blake you have no right to give up now"

Blake was clutched by Sun's broad arms as he tries to meticulously seal her wide wounds with the supplies that were currently available to him and with the best of his abilities. Sun frantically shuffles over Blake's belongings that were contained within her backpack that was still stowed behind her back. He removes it from her shoulders and rummages over the items that were inside.

With no sign of any medical supplies within the bag. All that Sun could do was to make do with the objects that he had and apply momentary medication to Blake and her injuries. Sun was able to use the spare clothes that were contained within the bag in order to apply much needed pressure to Blake's wounds in order to diminish the blood that was coming out of her.

After he was done with tying the last know needed to secure the rags, Sun carries Blake bridal style in order to safely relocate her from the position that she was laying at in the ground. A sand dune that was a few meters away from the conflict was the only spot that Sun could think of that would provide comfort and safety to Blake no matter how little they did to help.

He quickly goes for a sprint and carefully places Blake in a secure position that would make sure that she would get the rest that she needed and deserved.

Sun was still steadily clutching Blake's body even after he had placed her in the dune. He couldn't help but hold her in this time were she was the most weak and damaged that he had ever seen. Sun cradles Blake for a bit as if trying to comfort her in this time of need. Partly blaming himself while still loathing her for not telling him about the suicide mission that she was engaged in.

"You are so stupid you know that. Why the hell did you not tell us about this. Have you learned nothing!"

But despite his incessant ramblings, Blake couldn't hear a single peep from him as she was still in her unconscious state. Sun realizes that he is audibly arguing with the still unconscious Blake and was basically throwing his words towards the wind as he can't do anything to communicate with her at in this current state.

"Uhhh we'll deal with this later. Now I have to deal with this guy"

His attention was quickly diverted towards the opponent that Blake had passed on to him. Sun was about to face the monster that he had heard so many things about. The man that bought beacon to its knees and has now incapacitated the girl that her cared for.

He makes his way towards Adam. With the intent of finishing what Blake started and put everything behind them and start anew. But he couldn't do that if the two of them were dead in the hands of Adam with a sword through their chests.

The two see each other eye to eye. Adam gives Sun an irritated look. As if hating him just because of the idea that he had any relationship whether it being just friends with Blake.

"After all of the years that we spent together, she just replaces me with some guy that she met of off the streets"

"Never thought that the great Adam Taurus was the teasing type of guy"

"Well I have to apologize for my language. But I only see you as a person that is beneath me. And I don't treat people like you with the respect that I give to people who deserve it"

"Don't speak to soon pal. You don't know me that much to judge me so easily. I see this as a challenge and I don't back down from anything. Especially from people who get in my nerves.

"You obviously have desires. Obviously for Blake as no person would stake their own life for another if it didn't mean that they loved that person in a certain degree. So why don't we make a quick wager"

"I'm listening"

"Well obviously only one of us can walk out of this hellhole alive. So why not make this duel interesting. Whoever wins between the two of us will get her heart as a reward. For you figuratively. And for me, I will take it right out of her chest"

"Sorry to inform you, but the two of us are already exempted from that offer. Someone already beat us to the punch. Her heart is already at the hands of someone else"

"Instead I would like to give you another deal. The best man that wins takes the weapon of the loser. That ought to spice things of don't you think?"

"My victory is already decided. There is no way that a man like you could ever come close to my skill. Prepare to lose your life and that crude weapon of yours."

"We'll see about that. Because you see, you pissed me off and that really got on my nerves. So I'm gonna take this one seriously. You should be thankful. I only do this when I'm really heated and that barely ever happens. So prepare your ass for a big whooping"

"Ha, as expected. A man like you would be all talk. So let's see if the dog has any bite"

"You're about to eat your own words"

The sun had only a few minutes left before it would completely plunge beneath the horizon and bring upon it the night that would follow. This signals the final bout of the day and would decide the fate of both Sun and Blake and potentially other people that would fall victim to Adam if his reign of terror would continue any further.

Adam couldn't help himself. A sly grin was slowly creeping up and forming in his face. He couldn't believe that a person would be so incompetent and yet challenge a man of skill like him to a direct duel.

But Sun could care less about what Adam thought about him. He was sure that he was skilled enough to take him on. And despite what other people saw in him, the full brink of his skill was never exhibited in public and has only been seen by his team in a scarce number of occasions.

Sun closes his eyes and takes a few deep breathes. He steadies his heart rate and brandishes the Gun-staff that he had with both of his hands. But in special occasions like this, it didn't pack enough punch to take care of the job. So Sun separates the two Gun-chucks that combined to make the Gun-staff and grips them both with his hands.

The two men could feel the pressure in the air around them. It had once again reverted to its earlier state and was once again reacting to the energy that was surging between the two of them. They could feel the air around them as each inch in their skin feels the touch of the wind that was blowing through their pores .

Adam assumes his standard position and sheathes Wilt back into Blush. Fully prepared to engage in combat and fully recharged of any fatigue that his body experienced earlier.

But Sun was somehow making the atmosphere around them feel different. Adam could not explain it but somehow his presence was influencing the aura around them. Despite his earlier thoughts about his opponents capabilities, Adam couldn't help but feel that something was wrong. The person in front of was too calm despite the situation that he was trapped in. Adam wanted to see fear in his eyes. But all he could feel was the opposite. The will to go on.

Sun had finally finished preparing himself for this moment. It was now his time to step in and hold up to Blake and her family's expectations of him. He was now ready to win it for Blake and finally give her the peace that she so fully deserved.

And with that, he opens his eyes and gives Adam a piercing stare that was sharp enough to pierce even the toughest of armor.

What Adam felt as he saw through those eyes were nothing but indescribable. He never felt anything like this before even with the hundreds of enemies that he had faced in the past. This was something that he felt for the first time.

A chill ran through his spine as Sun stared at him with eyes that burned like a thousand flames.

And that made him fear of what's to come.

* * *

 **Well that chapter was a real big wall of text wasn't it? I know that I haven't uploaded in a really really long time by my standards and I have to apologize for that. Proper work and effort was needed in order to really make this chapter's quality rise above the other ones that came before it.**

 **Majority of this chapter was composed of Blake and Adam's fight scene. I can't even imagine how I pulled this off as this is only my second attempt at writing any action sequences besides the one at chapter 2. I know that it's not the best in the world but I'm pretty proud of how it came out.**

 **As stated in my previous note, a longer time frame was needed in order to increase the quality of chapters to come. I think that I have re read this chapter and revised it the most out of all the chapters that came before this. And I believe that this increased the amount of polish that this chapter needed.**

 **Now with the story. Sun has been taking a lot of shit throughout the course of this fic and I think that it's about time for him to step into the limelight. I really like his character the most in this story and I would really like to write some things in the future that would make him happy for once. But for now he has to face Adam in the next chapter (Which is bound to be another fight sequence)**

 **And most importantly, this story has finally reached 1k views. I am very thankful for your time in reading this story. I know that it can be rough in a couple of parts so I truly appreciate the time that you guys put in when reading this story. I promise to improve every step of the way and launch this story to better heights.**

 **So as always, reviews are much appreciated and help big time in improving this story. Until the next chapter, See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

_Go where you need to_

 _Know I won't leave you_

 _I'll follow you like morning follows night_

 _You can run till your pain's through_

 _One thing I won't do_

 _Is let you go alone to face the fight!_

* * *

The constant sound of Ghira's boots pacing against the wood floor was the only thing that was keeping the room from being completely silent. As the chief of menagerie, he had many connections within the populace and it provided him with appropriate resources and manpower in order to make a search party for her missing daughter.

But despite the collective efforts of the men that he had in his disposal, no sign of Blake or Sun could be found along the stretch of the forest that spanned across the borders of menagerie that would eventually lead to the cursed wastelands.

Night time was slowly approaching and no news regarding the whereabouts of Blake were presented to him and Khali. This did nothing but increase his concern for his beloved daughter as he didn't even know if she was safe or not.

As much as Ghira wanted to find Blake, the only thing that he could do was to just sit and wait around for any new developments regarding the potentially dangerous situation that they were currently facing.

But if Ghira was so full of concern and anxiety, his wife was just simply sitting in the balcony staring calmly at the dying sun over the horizon. This sight bewildered Ghira because Khali's behaviour seemed somewhat strange despite the events that are currently taking place. This was their daughter that was missing without a trace. How can she so calmly sit around and just gaze at the sunset like that.

Believing that Khali may just be stuck in a trance, Ghira tries to broach the subject at hand in order for him to at least know that Khali is still involved with what was currently happening.

"It's getting too late Khali. Don't you think that it's time that we join the search?"

Without even breaking her gaze from the bright sun that she was marvelling at, Khali just simply responds in a calm matter.

"Can't you just stop worrying for a second. Our daughter is old enough to take care of her own. And besides, Sun already took off after her. And as a matter of fact, they are both trained huntsmen so I'm pretty sure that they can handle themselves"

"Are you just that confident that you are willing to just sit there and wait for their safe arrival?"

"Well don't you believe in your own daughter? And besides, Sun has her back. And that's more than enough for me to know that our little girl is safe"

The sound of Khali uttering Sun's name was like a thorn that Ghira cannot manage to remove no matter how much he tried. It irritated him a lot especially the way how Khali perceives Sun. It's almost as if she had known the boy for many years and put almost all of her faith in him despite the short time that they had shared together. Ghira just sighs and continues his conversation with his wife.

"Why do you put so much faith in that boy? What do you see in him that makes him so special in your eyes"

This question managed to spark Khali's interest and it was enough to break her from her incessant daydreaming and she managed to stand up from her comfortable spot at the chair that she was sitting at. She approaches Ghira with the intent to answer his question with the best of her abilities.

"I really don't know"

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"Well at hindsight, he is a really rowdy person that lacks any proper finesse and he usually doesn't take hints very well especially when he rambles"

"But like any other person, you shouldn't really judge their character by the shallow things that you observe in them. And that's where Sun truly shines the most. I've only talked to him seriously in a few occasions and I've got to tell you, he is a really good person once you get to know him"

"One thing that I really love about Sun is how genuinely selfless he is. Especially when were taking about Blake. He prioritizes the well being and feelings of other people before his own. I got a glimpse of it in our sparring match. Can you believe that he almost refused to fight me just because he thought that it would be a waste if I used my prized weapons against him?"

"The way you're talking about him seems like you have a crush on our little guest"

"What, does he make you jealous? I can't believe it. The great Ghira Belladonna getting jealous by a simple monkey Faunus"

Ghira sighs once again as he knew that there was no way that he could win the conversation that they were having. So he just decided to press on in order to change the topic at hand to a more serious one rather than talks of his jealousy against the obnoxious boy.

"Khali, you're overstepping your bounds again"

"Well sorry Mr. Sensitive if you can't take me joking around. But seriously, don't be so hard on Sun. You should really sit down and get to know him. Blake's more happier with him and by the looks of it, he's a keeper"

The large man could do nothing but just rolls his eyes because of the statement that Khali had just said. He can't help but shudder at the thought of her prized daughter being together with a guy such as Sun Wukong. But that problem is reserved for another day as there were bigger things to deal with as night approaches. And he had to act accordingly if he wanted to see her daughter safe.

"I've got things to do now. I have to check on the search party's findings and see if there are any leads. Going back to work now, I love you"

"Love you too dear"

And with that, Ghira makes his way back into the study and once again resumes his work in trying to locate Blake and to see if she was okay or not.

All that Khali could do was to return her gaze back into the distant sun that was now only a quarter of what it was earlier. And of course, it reminded her of the only person that could save Blake during this time and how much faith that she had put in him.

And as she continues to gawk at the horizon, Khali couldn't help but wonder about the events that the two were currently trapped. All that she could do was to fantasize about the many different possibilities of what might have come to pass between the two.

Optimism was the only thing that she had in her disposal. And nothing could stop Khali from believing that everything would be all right. Despite the high possibility of Blake being in peril because of the situation that she got herself into.

"I hope that the two of you are safe"

* * *

After a loud explosion resulting from the struggle that ensued between the two fighters, Adam gets knocked into the ground and down to his knees. Loud panting can be audibly heard from him as he struggles to catch his breath. Pools of sweat were trickling down his face resulting from the exhaustion that he was now feeling.

The sand that had clouded the air up to this moment had finally dispersed and Adam can now see Sun in full view. His opponent was standing firmly without any signs of him even breaking a sweat or experiencing the effects that would result from this rigorous fight.

Adam struggles to pick himself up from his currently vulnerable position while also in the state of exhaustion. But despite these clear signs of weakness, Sun does nothing but maintain the sharp glare that he shot towards Adam while their fight was ensuing.

"Get up. I'm not done with you yet and I know that you want to shut me up more than anything else"

The blood that was coursing through Adam's veins were now boiling with anger. How dare he stare at him with those eyes filled with conviction. And how could a person like him that he did not even treat with common decency perform in a level like this that forced him into fatigue and made him whimper like an injured dog.

Adam tries to stabilize his balance by using Wilt like a cane. He slowly steadies himself as he pulls his body back up with the intent to resume their duel immediately. And with frustration, he positions himself in order to charge towards Sun and once again clash weapons with him in order to claim his prize.

But this was easier said than done. Despite Adam's earlier insults and ramblings, Sun had completely transcended his expectations. And in a surprising turn of events, Sun had easily taken the momentum of the fight and has applied the most pressure in terms of damage throughout the duration of their fight.

As Adam continues to charge right through Sun haphazardly. Sun makes the most out of Adam's frustration and counters his move with the most simple of actions. With the two Gun chucks in his hands, he fires of a hail of bullets that were directed right at Adam. The shells that fired out of the barrel of Sun's weapons were utilized to their full potential as they were able to hit Adam cleanly and despite his best efforts to block them with his arms with the help of Wilt, his body took a large amount of damage because of his recklessness and that costed him a large sum of his aura.

There was no turning back now and Adam decided to press on with his decision to engage Sun in close range. But this was what Sun wanted and he gladly decided to clash weapons with Adam once again.

Wilt has finally been unsheathed from its container and Adam slashes with it in order to trade blows with Sun. But he was quick in anticipating this and Sun was able to quickly strike it back with the Gun chuck that he possessed in his right hand. Adam tries to break through the sturdy defence that his opponent presented before him. Sun was able to react to Adam's every move and he was able to provide the appropriate action in order to directly counter the strikes that he was throwing towards him.

With every slash that he delivered with Wilt. It would be met by the metal base of one of Sun's Gun chucks hitting it back in order to halt its attacks. After a quick right strike with Wilt. Adam quickly snaps his blade back into its sheathe in order to prepare his next set of attacks. And with his usual fashion, he follows this up with a thrust that came in with lightning speed. But Sun was not to be underestimated and with his left hand, he deflects Adam's thrust by swinging upwards. Completely dismantling Adam's plan of attack and giving Sun the opportunity to strike back with what he had.

Adam had stumbled backwards because of the easily telegraphed attack that he had just made. Sun was able to read his actions as if he knew what his next move would be. His instincts were almost instantaneous in response and would punish every misstep that he made.

And Sun had the full intention of punishing Adam for his recklessness and he proceeds to deal more pain to the now unbalanced Adam. Sun initiates his string of attacks by snapping his left hand in quick succession after he was able to deflect Adam's thrust. This started a long chain of attacks that continued to damage Adam's aura continuously and injure him further.

Defence was the only thing that Adam could cling to while he was being battered by the earth shattering blows that were coming from Sun's explosive weapons. The deadly combination of both shotgun and nun chucks provided Sun enough firepower to kill a dozen of Grimm and the same can be said with any person that dared to fight him to this extent.

Adam could not do anything but helplessly block against each blow that was being sent towards his way. Sun's reflexes were too fast and they didn't provide him with any openings to counter him easily like he did with Blake with their previous fight. He can't seem to find any way to either use Blush to disrupt the flow of his attacks or at least try and parry the attacks that were coming his way. The shotgun blasts that supplemented the Gun chucks were too large in radius and that provided him with little space for movement that would not result in heavy loss.

The intensity and speed of Sun's attacks were now growing with each moment that passes. The speed of his hands were now getting into extreme levels as it gets harder and harder for Adam to properly read his movements. Sun was relentless in his pursuit to beat him to the ground and he wasn't going to stop until he does.

The force of the blows that were still coming in Adam's way were starting to overwhelm him. With each strike that he desperately tried to block, the more that he succumbed to the frailty of his strength and was once again losing his balance and putting more pressure into his steps that would eventually cause him to fall once again.

Sun juggles his weapons with complete mastery that also provided more lethality. Not only did he strike with enough force and speed but also with complete accuracy. Despite the insane speeds that his attacks possessed, they were also aimed at spots were Adam was most vulnerable. Sun was able to position the barrels of his guns to hit Adam with gunfire while also striking him with the base of the Gun chucks. And it was more than enough to send Adam tumbling into the ground once again as he gives in to the power of Sun's abilities.

Adam couldn't believe what was happening right now. He tried to convince himself that all of this was just a bad dream that he needed to wake up from. But the rough texture of the sand that he was currently sitting at would deny him of any assurance that he was right.

His exhaustion was now drawing further and further to the point that he felt like vomiting. The fight that he was currently having was having a toll on his body and he knew that if he took anymore of Sun's brutal cyclone of attacks, he would eventually pass out or worse lead to his death.

While he was still recovering from his drained state, Adam couldn't help but direct his gaze towards Sun. The sharp glare that he wore throughout the fight never left his face and continued to stared down on him as he helplessly licks his wounds.

The feelings that were swirling around his head were nothing but surreal. He couldn't believe that a person like Sun could ever beat him into submission like that. Out of all the enemies that he had faced before, he had never encountered anyone that was strong enough to knock him down and look down upon him with such confidence and drive.

But not all was lost. The fierce look that Sun kept throwing at him was slowly fuelling up his rage and was the only thing that was serving as his drive right now. He couldn't let himself be looked down upon and that made him see the silver lining that he had forgotten because of the fog of war.

He still had his semblance to rely on. Adam did not have the chance to use it against Blake because of her seeing right through it but the opponent that was presented before him knew nothing of how it functioned.

One drawback came into light as Adam weighs the choices that he had in order to proceed with the fight. The Gun chucks were formidable when it came to raw firepower and there was no questioning that. But he could use that to his advantage as Sun's attacks would charge up his semblance even faster and make it even more deadly to the point that he could just seize the win if he were able to draw out the fight further and withstand the deadly blows that he would receive.

Realizing that he still had a shot in winning their match, Adam breaks into a small chuckle as he finally regains his composure and rise from his earlier position in the ground.

"Well call me surprised, I didn't expect you to be this good. Hell, I even thought that this fight was going to end in a heartbeat"

"You know what they say, don't judge a book by its cover. And the way it looks right now, I think that you misjudged by a huge margin"

"I can't believe that I'm saying this but I completely eat my words from earlier. You are a person worth being treated with respect and I applaud you for your skill in combat"

Adam bows ceremoniously towards Sun as if mocking him in the moment. Sun gives no heed to this and continues with their conversation.

"You know that there is no way that I'm going to let you win after all that you have done. For killing all of those people. For attacking Beacon"

"For hurting Blake..."

"Yeah because that all that you care about right? Why do you force yourself to protect her despite everything that she has done. She didn't tell you about our ties despite your constant pleading for her to open up to you. She told none of you about the deal that we had even though that she knew that she was in trouble and you still trust her? The only thing that could explain your stupidity is because this is a pursuit for love"

"Shut it"

"I hit a nerve didn't I?"

"That doesn't matter right now. To know that she will be safe is the only thing that is important"

Adam sighs as Sun continuously affirm his disappointment for his actions.

"Well you will have to wait until the next life to find what you are looking for. Because now it's time for me to send you and her to the other side"

Adam readies himself and once again re sheathes Wilt back into Blush. Once again prepared to resume the fight that was slowly reaching its climax.

"Don't be so confident with yourself. Or I'm going to have you eat your words again by knocking you back into the damn ground"

Sun follow suit with Adam and he also prepares himself and once again reignite the flame of battle. But before anything could begin, he slowly looks back at the slumbering girl that was resting in one of the dunes that were scattered in the wasteland.

The sight of Blake in her injured state did nothing but add fuel to the fire that was burning within Sun's heart. He needed to get her out of this alive no matter what the cost and he would gladly clash weapons with Adam no matter how many times it took for him to emerge victorious. But he needed to act fast if he wanted to save Blake. The first aid that he applied to Blake's wounds would only hold up for so long before the bleeding would once again resume from the wounds that she had attained.

 _"I will get you out of here alive. I promise"_

And with that Sun prepares his two trusty weapons and he was now prepared to finish the last leg of the huge obstacle that he had in his midst. Adam shared the same feeling and the two fighters were now ready to give it their all in order to finally finish this long and drawn out brawl.

A moment of silence emerges from the tense aura of the air around them. This would finally be the last time that the desolate place would ever be disturbed by the sounds of two weapons clashing. And it would be the end of this deep rooted conflict that caused so much pain and suffering.

Finally, the uncomfortable silence has been broken by the two men screaming at the top of their lungs as they both charge towards each other with the intent to break their opponent.

Sun was quick to go into the offensive and immediately starts of the aggression right of the bat. The range that separated him and Adam was only off by a small margin. But he was able to use it to his advantage and strike first by swinging his weapons and firing of two bursts of gun fire that Adam was able to block with his sword.

But despite this, Adam still couldn't maintain his balance because of the sheer amount of force that the shotgun blasts had. He braced himself and prepared for the inevitable beating that he was going to get.

The delicate procedure of fighting Adam was something that Sun got used to very quickly. He knew that he couldn't open himself up to being countered by one of Adam's tricks and that made him mindful of his actions. The only way that he thought could counteract the constant counters that Adam had was to give him absolutely zero room to move or respond. And he was doing perfectly as he constantly had Adam on lock down and all that he had to do was to maintain his leverage.

He was doing the best that he can in order to deplete Adam's aura to absolutely nothing. Sun knew that his hail of attacks were strong enough to eventually wear him down and would only be a matter of time before he could seize the win.

But with each blow that would come in contact with Adam, Sun could notice little hints of what Adam had under his sleeve. He noticed that Adam was now slightly glowing red and pulsating every now and then. Sun deducted that it had something to do with their fight and Adam was somehow charging something up. And then while in the heat of combat, Sun suddenly gets hit with a sudden realization.

The fight that ensued between Blake and Adam earlier provided him with enough information to know that something bad was about to happen. He remembered that Blake would often hesitate at times when she could have dealt damage towards Adam. And he could sense the energy that Adam had accumulated earlier and that would have been the reason on why Blake took the precautions that she did.

But Sun knew that he couldn't stop now. If he let Adam get the upper hand and the opportunity to go into the offensive, he would most likely lose as his opponent was now slowly learning and catching up to the way on how he fights.

The only option that he had was to go full throttle and overpower Adam with brute strength. And if Adam had a trick up his sleeve, then he wouldn't mind if Sun used one of his own.

Besides the obvious fact that Sun could make clones of himself similar to Blake, there was another factor to Sun's semblance that was lesser known but nonetheless handy in situations like this. It was connected to his aura and he needed to use it right now if he had any hopes of surviving what Adam had cooked up.

Sun continues to pepper Adam with a hail of bullets and a storm of strikes that are coming from his two weapons. The signs of Adam's semblance are now becoming much more pronounced as he continues to unwillingly increase the potency of Adam's semblance.

The strain of maintaining his attacks against Adam were now finally coming down on Sun. His attacks did not lose its efficiency and they still hit him with large degrees of success. But this opened him up enough for Adam to finally make his move after being the underdog for the longest time in their fight.

After an overhead strike with the two weapons in Sun's hand, Adam was able to finally turn the tables on Sun and he was able to deflect it with the blade of Wilt. He masterfully transitions with his smooth movements and re sheathes Wilt back into Blush and he takes on a stance in order to properly deliver fast range attacks towards Sun.

Adam places his left leg behind his back and he delivers a long range thrust towards Sun. He manages to see through the first stab that came his way and he manages to prevent it from hitting his body with the use of one of his Gun chucks. But the two stabs that followed were more faster and were delivered with more force and that made him block with his right weapon first and then the left one.

But as soon as he blocks the second attack that came from Adam, he quickly regains his vision and notices that Adam had somehow closed the gap between them and was now prepared to deliver a heavy strike towards him that would definitely hurt if he got hit by it.

The strength that was needed in order to effectively block Adam's heavy strike forced Sun to use both of his weapons in order to take the force of the attack. Sun stumbles back as his body recoils from the surprising amount of force that came with his attack. It was then swiftly followed up by Adam chaining another heavy strike that was now being swung upwards toward Sun and he had once again assumed the position that he had when he blocked the first strike.

Stumbling backwards was the last thing that Sun wanted to happen because this opened him up even further but he was confident in his abilities to guard himself against Adam. But instead of following it up with more sword swings, Adam decides to get physical and he delivers a swift downward kick with his left leg towards Sun's right leg in order to offset his balance. Sun was able to see through this and managed to block it with both of his arms . But Adam was once again quick enough to follow it up with another kick but it was now directed towards Sun's chest.

Sun's defense was nothing to scoff at and he still manages to block it with both of his arms. The moment to retaliate was present before him and immediately after he pushes back Adams leg, Sun spins into the air and delivers a kick of his own that was aimed at his head.

It connects with Adam's cranium and Sun quickly followed it up by rushing towards him and delivering his knee directly into his abdomen. The damage that it did caused considerable pain to Adam as it caused him to lurch in pain and small drops of spit came out of his mouth due to the tremendous pain that the blow dealt.

But Sun had no intention of stopping now and continued his attacks with no remorse for his opponent. He delivers a quick strike towards him but Adam remarkably recovers earlier than he anticipated and he was able to stave off the attack. Sun was tired of Adam's resilience and in return he did something that he shouldn't have and he became reckless.

Sun completely set aside the fact that Adam was benefiting from the force of his attacks. But in a moment of blindness, Sun delivers a massive hail of shotgun blasts in conjunction with the strikes coming from the Nun chucks and all of them were hitting Adam directly but with not much success.

The destructive power of the attacks that he was unleashing was enough to kill a person on the spot. But despite the loud ear-ringing blasts and brutal strikes that were being hurled towards him, Adam had completely maintained his calm and was dancing gracefully in order to dodge and block and it made Sun's attempts at finishing the match futile.

This continues for a few moments until Sun had once again noticed the signature glow that was radiating from Adam. It was stronger than ever before. The faint glow had become stronger and stronger and it was now slowly illuminating their surroundings more and more. Even with his fight with Blake, Adam never showed this kind of energy and that was definitely because Blake was prepared for what Adam had in store.

And because of that, Sun had fallen into his trap and when he realized this it was already too late. He breaks away with his clash with Adam by vaulting away from him. Creating some distance between him and Adam in order to prevent any more mistakes that could sink the ship even more.

Adam was also quick to back away and wasting no time, he assumes the dreaded form that Blake had feared and what Sun was preparing to face. He could feel the previous tension that filled the air when Blake and Adam faced a situation like this earlier. He could feel all of the energy that he had accumulated and all of it was swirling around them which was clearly stemming from Adam.

There was no escaping it and Sun knew that. The only thing that he could do was stand his ground and gamble with the only card that he had in the table. He was about to directly take the strike and hope that the damage that it would do will be diminished significantly by the move that he was about to do.

The dreaded blade of Wilt had been successfully sheathed into Blush as Adam was finally able to use his semblance to its full capacity and deliver the lethal blow to Sun. He will admit that Sun was a formidable opponent despite his annoying attitude. But at the end of the day, he was still the better fighter and he was about to prove it by making his lifeless body drop to the ground.

One last dialogue was exchanged between the two as they both prepare for the inevitable. The victor would finally be chosen right then and there and there was no more second chances this time.

"You're a strong opponent and I acknowledge that Sun Wukong. But your recklessness lead to your demise and it's only a matter of moments before I make YOU drop to the ground. And this time you won't have the chance to get back up"

"Yeah I have to admit, I screwed up real good back there. But I know that there was no avoiding this. So instead I opted to gamble this time and I think that the odds are swinging towards me this time"

"There is no escaping Sun. You know that you can't dodge this strike and I will cleanly cut through your body like butter"

"I didn't say that I was going to avoid it. Didn't I?"

This answer befuddled Adam as there was no way that Sun was going to face him head on. He knew that no one could take his semblance on directly and that fact was cemented during the Fall of Beacon. Adam though that Sun was crazy for thinking that he could block or somewhat redirect his strike. So he took one good look at Sun.

The two Gun chucks that Sun was holding was finally done for and they provided him with no advantage as of this moment. His staff would provide him with more defensive capabilities and it would only take him one hand to hold and he needed a free hand in order to go through with his plans.

Sun connects the two ends of his Gun chucks and once again forms them into the Staff that he would only use now. And as Adam assumed his earlier stance in order to prepare his semblance. Sun also positions himself into a stance that was meant to take Adam head on with no intention of backing down. He holds his staff with his right hand and positions it behind his back. He also positioned his right leg behind him and now positioned his left hand directly in front of him. This stance made it so that his legs and arms were parallel to each other.

Adam gets a full view of the position that Sun assumed and now notices that there was something wrong. Not only was Sun serious with his decision to face him head on, there was also something off about his body. Adam would give off a faint glow of red that would eventually get stronger and stronger as he builds up the energy needed in order to use his semblance. What bothered him was the fact that Sun had a faint glow emanating from him but instead of a crimson red, it was a bright gold that enveloped his whole body.

But there was no backing down now. He was tired of the constant struggle that he had to endure as the fight drags on and there was no use to stopping now. He steadies himself and slowly positions himself in order to charge towards Sun with the utmost efficiency and accuracy. Adam was trying to control his breathing and steady himself.

With all of that said and done, Adam finally breaks the tension and with all of his might, he screams to the top of his lungs as he bursts forward towards Sun with the complete intention to kill him with one last blow.

Before Adam could reach him, the whole world goes into slow motion as Sun prepares himself and channels every drop of aura that he had towards his left hand. It was the first point that would come in contact with Adam and it was his only hope of surviving and it was worth a shot if it meant that he would win if he lives after this. He drags his right leg towards his back even more in order to give him with more balance that would help him more than it should.

Every last ounce of aura that Sun had was directly being pumped into his left hand. His goal was to direct all of the damage that was coming his way into that one part of his body. It would surely hurt like hell, but it was better than dying.

The distance that had separated the two of them was now reduced to nothing but a mere fraction. He was now face to face with Adam and he was already at the motion of unsheathing Wilt and releasing all of the energy that came with it.

Wind was slowly blowing towards Sun's face as the energy that was coming from Wilt was too immense to handle. They had finally arrived to the point of no return and Sun braced himself for the pain that was about to befall him. It was either him dying or his arm being blown into smithereens.

Wilt was now coming down on him and it was only a matter of a few milliseconds before the result of his gamble would be decided. But even before that happens, his mind quickly flashes to images of his friends and family. And lastly, the beautiful girl that he had held most dear. With her smooth flowing black hair and beautiful amber eyes. This could be the last time that he would ever get a sight of her but there was no way that he was betting on that.

"See you in the other side, Blakey"

A loud explosion had resulted from Adam's semblance and it clearly demonstrated the destructive power that it possessed. There was now a large crater spanning a medium sized field where the both of them were directly standing.

Large amounts of sand had spread resulting from the large explosion that Adam had produced. It muddled his vision and it obstructed his view from Sun and he still had no confirmation if Sun had fallen due to his incompetence.

But with every passing moment, Adam's confidence was slowly starting to dwindle as there was still no signs of Sun's lifeless body being slumped to the ground. And as the sand around him was starting to settle down, his worst fears gave finally been realized.

Sun was standing there completely Scot free with no signs of any heavy damage or injuries within his body. All that Adam could see was a sand dune behind him completely cut in half but not even a scratch towards Sun.

But he spoke too soon as he looks down on the hand that Sun used in order to completely block his semblance. Sun's arm was completely trashed and disfigured. Blood completely enveloped it and flaps of flesh were exposed revealing some of his bones. Some of his fingers were also broken and that surely made Sun groan with huge discomfort.

"Will you look at that, I gambled and hit the jackpot. But it sure hurts like hell I got to tell you that"

"HOW, HOW DID YOU SURVIVE THAT!"

"I told you, I knew that there was no avoiding that you would use that move of yours. So I prepared and rolled the dice. And as it looks now. It paid off in spades"

The only reason that Sun was able to block Adam's semblance was because of his huge aura reserves. One lesser known fact about his semblance was the fact that as a fight grows more intense and prolonged, it slowly builds up his aura as Sun gets more active and active with each moment that passes in battle. Clearly mimicking his attitude of being active all the time.

Sun decides to finally seal the deal and break the stalemate that was going on between the two of them. He quickly plunges his staff towards Adam's chest and that quickly made him falter and finally available for Sun to finish off.

"You don't mind that I beat you know right? It's getting late and I don't want Blake to spend the night in this dumpster"

He know grips his staff with both of his hands, even with his heavily damaged arm. Sun had no intention of stopping now as the taste of victory was now slowly creeping towards him and it was finally time to give Blake the help that she needed.

A loud gunshot came from the barrel of one of his shotguns. And that signaled the last hint of sunlight that covered the wasteland and bought upon the heavenly sight of the evening sky.

* * *

 **We are finally approaching the end of this story arc in the next chapter and we're about to move on to the next stage of the story! This fight sequence is the last one for this arc and I think that I did better than I expected. It was a challenge to imagine these fight scenes happening within my head and it was a really good opportunity to improve my skills and heighten the quality of the next chapters as I said previously.**

 **I haven't wrote about any emotional or more character driven parts in this story in a long long while and I am finally excited to finally return to writing upcoming chapters that will be more focused on character interactions rather than long fight scenes like this one and the one that came before it.**

 **I did say previously that I felt that Sun was taking so much shit in the story so I had a lot of fun when writing more positive things about him especially about his skills when it comes to combat. We also see Sun use his staff for the most time since the Gun chucks were supposedly hard to animate. So I decided to take a crack at it and put more emphasis on it with his fight with Adam.**

 **This particular fic is to be treated as an eclipse/bumblebee story and I feel that I haven't shown enough of the characters relationship in order to establish them concretely and I will make sure to add more of that as soon as this arc ends.**

 **Sorry for the long line of text in this author's note. I estimate that I can make the next chapter within the week and release it as soon as possible (but no promises). Until then thank you for all of the support that you have given me. Following the story and reviewing it really means a lot especially reviews as they help in improving every factor of this story. So leave a review and I would gladly appreciate it.**

 **Until the next chapter, see you then!**


	9. Chapter 9

White. The only thing that she could see and feel around her was nothing but bright white. Was she dead, was this the second life that all of them would eventually enter when they die.

Blake tries to adjust to her surroundings despite how much disorienting they were. She was stuck in a white plain that showed no signs of any life or anything as a matter of fact. She looks down beneath her feet only to discover that she wasn't stepping on any solid surface that she can distinguish. But she can clearly feel that she was stepping on something solid despite how transparent it looked.

Panic was starting to dwell within her. She was stuck in an empty room that was filled with nothing but the color white. Only left with her thoughts to contemplate and think with and nobody to talk to her and much less console her in her supposed death.

Along with that panic came feelings of immense sadness. Tears start to stream down Blake's eyes as she realizes that she will be forced to exist in this lonely and desolate place. She remembers the wastelands that was supposedly her last resting place. Reminiscing of its bland surroundings and vast emptiness. And now she starts to acknowledge how pale in comparison it was to this place.

The feelings that were stirring within her was starting to get overwhelming. Blake was starting to get light headed as she can't cope with the hopeless situation that she was in. She continues to bawl her eyes out as she sits in the ground and curls like a ball in the transparent ground that she treaded on.

Tears were coming down her face nonstop as she didn't know what to do at that point. All that she could think of was the painful things that lead her to deserve this faith and crying was the only thing that felt natural and she stuck with it. Hoping that any void that was within her can be filled if she dwelled enough in her sorrow.

Faith was truly cruel in her own way, and Blake was not spared any mercy as she was continuously punished even more as if the anguish that she was feeling was still not enough.

And along with that sadness came longing. The realization that she will be stuck in this place alone with only her thoughts to accompany her was hitting her like a jackhammer over and over. She would never be able to make up for lost time with the friends and loved ones that she left behind when she entered this purgatory like state. It killed her inside more and more as memories that she cherished so much were flooding her mind and that it was the only things that she could cling to in her hopeless state.

 _"I hate being alone, I don't want this"_

Blake was now talking to herself amidst all of the tears that she was producing. Hoping that her own voice can fill the emptiness around her.

"What did I do to deserve this. Why do I deserve this punishment"

"You take my friends! You endanger the ones that I love and now this!"

Anger now joined the series of emotions that were swirling within her. She was now screaming angrily around her. Blaming some nameless entity for the punishment that was being given to her.

"I'm finally dead and now I'm stuck in this godforsaken place. So are you happy now!"

Even with all of her screaming and her pleas filled with desperation. It did nothing but echo around her surroundings and as much as she wanted to hear a response, nothing was given to her in return. And that made her even more miserable as the world around her made it clear that she was truly alone.

Blake accepts this for the mean time. The sadness was still growing and there was no signs of stopping it. She had cried for almost a couple of minutes already and like her sadness, it was yet to stop.

Her cries of agony were filled with so much pain and emotion that one must wonder how long she kept these feelings to herself. Blake did nothing in her life but to try and help the people around her and protect the ones that she loved and called family. So why was life this cruel to reward her with a fate like this.

In hope of some miracle to happen that may even lead to a small chance to save her from this curse. Blake mutters the only things that she had longed for in the longest time and the only thing that could make her recover from all of the pain that she accumulated.

"I just want to go home"

"Please, I just want to go home"

"Home..."

Blake didn't expect any reply as she was denied of this earlier when she expressed her anger and hate due to the circumstance that she was stuck in. She continues to sob as the fear and pain of truly being alone starts to create a gaping hole within her that she would never fill.

"Blake? Why are you crying?"

"I hate seeing you cry cause you're gonna make me cry"

Blake's ears stand on end as she picks up on a faint but high pitched voice that she was all too familiar with. Thinking that her immense depression was playing tricks on her, Blake decides to ignore it and continue to retain her position of being cooped up in her own body.

"Why won't you look at me Blake? I want to help you so please look at me"

Now the voice that she was hearing was starting to creep her out. No matter how much she needed someone to be with her right now there was no way that _she_ would ever be in here. There was no way that Ruby was there with her.

Blake shakes her head in disbelief. She couldn't bring herself to inflict more suffering to her mind if she tried to convince herself that there was an actual person or even more so a friend, was there to comfort her.

"No, no, you're not real. Just leave me alone"

"Blake please trust me. Just look up and stop moping around and I'm sure that you will smile"

"Please don't hurt me anymore. I'm tired, just let me rest"

"Come on Blake, you're not alone anymore. Just come over here"

The high pitched voice of her valiant leader and trusted friend was starting to grown on her with each word that she says. It's sweet melody was music to her ears as it bought back pleasant memories which lifted a large amount of weight that was looming over her.

And if that wasn't enough, a strong aroma was slowly enveloping Blake. It wrapped her around its warmth as it made her feelings of safety and happiness that she hadn't felt for a long time. It smelled of beautiful roses that most certainly was reminiscent of Ruby herself. This was her trademark, and that was enough proof to convince herself that she can remove her burrowed face from her arms.

With slight reluctance, Blake finally decides to face the girl that was supposedly standing right in front of her. She was trembling in anticipation because she was left with only two conclusions, one that she will actually see her beloved friend standing right in front of her or be utterly crushed when no one is there.

But with all of the bad things that had happened so far. This was not one of them. Blake sees Ruby standing in full view with her red cape and black dress with all of her glory. She was still the sweet little girl that she had known and loved and she couldn't believe that she was there with her.

Blake, now shaking. Slowly stood up from her position and slowly making her way towards Ruby. Each step that she took towards her was slowly easing the pain that was swelling within her heart and more and more pleasant memories were flooding her mind. Continually overpowering the negativity within her.

She was now face to face with the small brunette in front of her. Although she was still a bit taller than her, they were able to see each other eye to eye and Blake couldn't help but cry even more as she had finally seen a familiar face that she had wanted to see for a long time.

And without hesitation, Blake scoops up Ruby with her arms and traps her in a bear hug that made her completely warm and filled with bliss.

"I missed you so much Ruby! I'm so sorry that I..."

"Oop, Oop, Oop, you don't need to say sorry for anything Blake. Don't blame yourself right now"

"But I left you, and Weiss, and Yang..."

"There's no bother bringing that out now silly. All of that is in the past. The only thing that I care about is you Blake. You risked so much to protect us and fight for us. It would be unfair to place all of the blame at you"

"A lot of people around you really care about how you are feeling and are willing to cheer you up and comfort you. Once in your life you were all alone and scared and I don't want that you to experience that again"

"Remember that you are not alone now Blake you understand that? You have us you have your family. So just come back to us okay?"

"I will Ruby, I will"

The two share one more hug that Blake relished in more than she should have. It comforted her so much knowing that she is not alone in whatever place this is. And it made her all the more happy that one of her friends were there to accompany her.

But as soon as she arrived, Ruby had also disappeared without a trace after Blake had let go of her. But even with Ruby gone, Blake had the feeling that she was not alone as another familiar sensation was picked up by one of her senses.

If Ruby had her significant high pitched voice that signaled her sudden arrival, the sound of tall heels were starting to echo behind her and it was accompanied by a voice that she once again recognized. But if Ruby was sweet and comforting with her words, this one was filled with confidence and pride but still gave of the tone of care and concern towards her.

"Do you know how stupid you are for keeping this all to yourself? I thought that you were the smartest one on the team besides me of course, so why were you so reckless in not telling any of us with what you were facing"

"It's nice to see you to Weiss"

Weiss was still wearing her old wardrobe composed of a white dress, white heels and matching white hair and skin. Despite the already blank environment that was around them, Weiss still managed to stand out in Blake's vision as she made her the center of attention in this clear space.

Blake sniffles as joy was still constantly lifting her spirits as another one of her friends was right before her. But Weiss was very different from Ruby despite them being partners and her attitude towards Blake mimicked this relationship

"Haven't you learned anything from that night in the docks? I told you that if there was any problem or secret that you had, it would be the best for you and for us to share it with everyone"

"Remember that there are people around you that can help you with your problems. You can stop pretending that you can carry the weight of the world around your shoulders. Share some of the burden with us because we don't mind sharing"

"I know that now. I'm sorry for hiding these things from you guys. I was so obsessed in keeping all of you safe that I pushed all of you out. And I'm really sorry for that"

"Okay, okay. Just don't be stubborn next time or else I will kill you myself if you do one of these reckless stunts again"

"Fine, fine. I promise to share my secrets next time, Ice queen"

The two of them chuckle as they share one of these moments that Blake had missed for such a long time. She missed the times when she was more laid back and goofed around with the rest of team RWBY by calling each other names. And she made a mental note to learn a thing or two from Ruby and be more active than her usual self.

Knowing that their time together was about to come to an end. Blake grabs both of Weiss's hands and wraps them against her own. The two of them gaze at each other's eyes before they say their farewells. Blake was able to look at those cold blue eyes that Weiss had. It reminded her of how cold her attitude was before they were all friends. And it made her all the more happier as she knew that those blue eyes no longer meant that she was alone and insensitive to others. She knew that those eyes were now filled with wisdom and hope for their team and their friends.

The two share one last hug before the inevitable happens once again. Blake felt her body coming in contact with Weiss for the last time and it comforted her knowing that she was able to speak with the intelligent although sassy girl for one last time.

And with the same fashion as Ruby, Weiss also vanishes into thin air. Leaving only Blake their once again alone although she was now wearing a smile on her face as two of her best friends managed to manifest themselves in this ethereal world and bring with them words of hope and encouragement.

But nothing prepared her for what she was about to face next. A sudden voice was thrown out into the air and towards her. And when she heard the sweet heavenly sound of the angel that she was about to see face to face, it sent a chill down her spine"

"Have you forgotten about someone Blakey?"

Blake's hair stood up on end and her ears did the same. She felt Goosebumps forming around her arms and she felt every fiber of her body tingle as she hears the words coming out of the person that she wanted to be with the most but the one that she feared to face out of all of them.

Trembling, Blake slowly turns around as she tries to convince herself that this was not happening. She couldn't believe that Yang out of all the people that she could talk was the one to be there to console her. She wasn't in any way angry or sad at Yang for being there. She was angry at herself because of what she did to her. For abandoning her when she needed her the most without even a single goodbye or peep. And that haunted Blake for the longest time and she dreaded the fact that she had done that to Yang whom she truly loved and cared for.

She finally turns completely and finally sees eye to eye with Yang. Blake sees her in all of her majesty as she quickly remembers the features that the girl possessed that made her beautiful to her eyes and she just stood there marveling at her.

The golden mane that Yang always had was still in beautiful shape as if it hadn't changed since the last time that she saw her. Her lilac eyes reflected her own and it completely magnified the beauty of her face and body. And lastly, the infectious smile that she had learned to love and fall for over and over again. But the sight of Yang made her shake in fear as she didn't know what Yang's feelings were towards her.

"Come on now Blakey don't be afraid. I'm not going to bite, unless you want me to"

And with that Yang throws a suggestive wink towards Blake. That was such a classic Yang thing to do and it made Blake's feelings of uncertainty grow even more. As she knew that the Yang right in front of her was a complete embodiment of what she loved in her.

Blake struggles to control herself. Tears were now once again returning to her eyes and were making her vision more misty as they start to accumulate. She was wavering more and more as she drags the weight of her body to the beautiful blonde in front of her.

Her body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as the act of dragging her body to Yang was getting harder and harder to do. She wanted nothing more than to touch her, to talk to her, to wrap her in with an embrace and it hurt Blake more and more as more and more time passes that she is not in close proximity to her.

The distance that separated the two of them had finally been reduced to nothing but mere inches. Blake and Yang were now directly facing each other and Blake was trying to think of any way to interact with her. But just like all the times when she would be face to face with Yang, she did nothing but freeze up as her mind starts to spiral out of control.

She didn't know what to do in the moment. So many possibilities were forming in her mind and none of them could ever satisfy her need to express every bit of emotion that she had for Yang.

But before she could even think of anything that seemed plausible for her to do in this situation, Yang once again steps up and initiates the conversation with her.

"Well don't just stand around their! I missed you so give me a big hug!"

The cheerful voice that sprang out from Yang did nothing but release the floodgates in her eyes and once again submerged her face with the tears that she had suppressed. She quickly grabbed Yang in a heartbeat and buried her face into her chest. Completely releasing everything that she had within her that she had reserved only for Yang

"I'm so sorry Yang! I'm so sorry! Forgive me please I'm sorry!"

"Shhh, Shhh, Calm yourself Blake. It's okay everything is fine. Just let it all out"

"Please forgive me! I left you when you needed me the most. I'm nothing but trash and I'm sorry"

"Just hang in there. It's okay it's okay."

Blake continued to cry and cry. But Yang just stayed there and accompanied her throughout the time that she had spent letting all of her feelings out. Her warm embrace filled Blake with nothing but warmth and it made her feel more lighter and lighter with every second that passed between the two of them. The feeling of Yang being in physical contact with her managed to burn away all of the pain and sorrow that she had felt earlier. All of them were now replaced with nothing but warmth and happiness.

All of her tears were finally taken care of and Blake prepared herself to have a talk with Yang. She had anticipated and hoped for this moment for a long time but she wasn't prepared to talk to her now. And not like this.

"I don't deserve to have a chance at showing my face to you again. After leaving you behind when you fought my battle. You should have every right to be mad at me"

"So that's what you think? That I'm mad at you?"

"How can you not be mad at me? After everything that I have done that would have hurt you and you still treat me like this"

"Blake, It's time to stop this"

In a quick flash, Yang managed wrap both of her arms in Blake's waist and she pulled Blake towards her even further. The both of their bodies were now in full contact with each other and their faces were so close to each other that Blake could feel every breath that Yang takes and smell her very essence within her nostrils.

Yang goes on with their conversation. With the tone of immense love and care that in Blake's ears was completely unmatched by any kind of melodic sound. Yang continues,

"I don't want to see you hurting yourself any further. Drop any guilt that you are feeling within you because you don't deserve the punishment that you are giving yourself. You have every right to live happily and you are the only one that is getting in the way. And I don't want that for you"

"What do you mean that I don't deserve the pain? I have hurt so many people along the way with my decision and my own existence. I can't bring myself to live a comfortable and happy life without even a single hint of remorse if I knew that the people around me are suffering"

"Then if you know that then why do you keep hurting me?!"

"I don't want to hurt you Yang! That's why I we can't be together because I will keep hurting you"

"That's exactly the reason why I'm hurting inside Blake!"

"You keep distancing yourself from us because you think that it's for the best. But you don't know that it kills me inside with every day that passes that I don't get to see you, to feel you"

"All that you are doing is hurting yourself and us Blake. So please stop it because I can't see you like this anymore Blake!"

Yang was getting more and more distressed with her tone of voice. And it made Blake look away from her as she couldn't bring herself to look her right in the eye because she knew that she was the reason why the girl was hurting this much.

"Please Blake just come back to me. Come back to us and stop hurting yourself because of the past. I can't see you like this because Blake..."

"I love you..."

These three words managed to send the butterflies in Blake's stomach to go crazy within her. The sensation that she was feeling right now was one that she couldn't explain. These were the words that she wanted to hear and to say for the longest time whenever the two of them would express their feeling towards each other. And hearing these words now felt so surreal and heavenly that all that she could do was to respond.

"I love you too Yang. I really do. I promise that I will wake up form this dream and I will find you. All of you and I will never leave your embrace ever again"

"Well I'm betting on that Blakey"

Blake and Yang both pulled their faces even closer to each other. Blake could now feel the heat that covered Yang's face and that made her temperature rise up as she was never this close to her when it came to physical contact. The tip of their noses where touching as Blake's body was shaking in excitement.

The feelings that were swirling within her were swaying her to kiss Yang in that moment. She knew that it was the perfect time to do this in order to erase her regrets that she should have done it in the evening of the dance.

Blake begins to press even closer towards Yang. Her mind now slowly melting as she couldn't contain the anticipation building up inside of her. She felt the energy between the two of them building up and combining as if the two of them were being fused to each other.

 _"This is it. I finally get to be with you Yang"_

But before Blake could get even a single touch from Yang's lips. A finger suddenly shot up from Yang's hand and quickly blocked Blake from coming in contact with her and inevitably stopped the kiss that Blake wanted to give her.

"What was that for?"

"I didn't know that you were that excited to kiss me. But our first time shouldn't be within your dreams. So promise me that you will find us, all of us when you wake up from here. And tell me face to face that you love me. And when that time comes, I'll never let you go ever again"

Yang now pulls away from Blake and begins to fade away with her body shattering into a thousand pieces. Blake sees this but doesn't panic as she knew that it was time for her to wake up from whatever place this was. It didn't matter if each interaction that she had with her friends were all contained within her mind. Because it made her learn valuable lessons that she will begin to embody with her as soon as now.

The image of Yang was slowly dissipating in front of her eyes and along with it, a blinding light was illuminating from her surrounding and it started to completely envelop her vision.

It was now time to wake from her dreams. Even though she didn't know of what became of her it didn't matter. Because now she had something to live for and nothing would stop her this time. And this time she acknowledges that people are there to help her and she wouldn't be stupid enough to repeat her mistakes.

As the bright light continued to surround her and devour the image of Yang, Blake now with her spirits high thinks of the next chapter of her adventure. And of the new promise that she needed to keep for herself and for her friends"

"We'll meet again in the other side guys. I promise that"

And as the light completely devours everything around her, the world suddenly fades to black.

* * *

The sudden barrage of freezing cold winds that came with the evening sky had managed to make Blake suddenly jolt up from her position as she realizes that was once again back in the world that she lived in. She was finally free from the prison that she was stuck in and even considered the wastelands as a welcome sight compared from the place that she was stuck in.

But as soon as Blake readjusts herself to her new surroundings, immense pain had surged up from her body as her wounds had once again introduced themselves and clearly made their presence known with the harsh stings that were pulsating from them and the blood that was now seeping from the crudely applied first-aid that was applied to her.

Her body felt weak as she continuously bled even in her unconscious state. It puzzled her on why she hadn't died yet but it made her pay attention to the clothing that was used as a bandage for her wounds. Although they helped in minimizing the bleeding it didn't completely stop it so she still felt the effects of blood loss.

She had wished that her body shouldn't have re orientated itself that quickly as she was being constantly bombarded by pain, dizziness, and problems with her vision. Blake had noticed the blood that had pooled beneath her and it made her realize that her life was in grave danger and she needed to get help fast.

Everything was now slowly coming back to Blake. She remembered her fated fight with Adam and how she suffered her crushing defeat to him. It was the reason why she got unconscious but it boggled her on how she managed to survive the death blow that was supposedly dealt to her by Adam.

The answers that she was looking for were about to be answered as she heard a loud bang coming from a few meters in the distance. Blake picks herself up from the ground but the stabbing pains in her thigh and chest were still constantly afflicting her and the constant feeling of dizziness was making the act of getting to the source of the sound an impossible feat.

Blake continued to make her way to the sounds of gunshots coming from the two men struggling in the distance. The only way that she was able to move without making the pain too unbearable for her to make it over there was to drag her right leg behind her and use her left leg to do all of the walking.

The sounds of the battle that was still ensuing until now was slowly getting louder and louder and Blake's ears were now standing on end as she was close enough to finally see Adam being absolutely demolished by the person that she did not expect to see in there. She saw Sun with massive beads of sweat flowing down his face and completely enveloping his chest.

Adam was now bleeding from his lips as a large cut was already applied to it by one of Sun's furious punches. He was now completely drained of any aura or stamina because of his failed attempt at using his semblance against him. But it still managed to make a considerable mark towards Sun as it disfigured his arm enormously. But even with that Sun was already in the verge of knocking him down unconscious.

Sun was wielding his Gun staff even with his damaged left hand. And even with that it was almost as if he was sparing no effort in completely beating Adam to a pulp. With a quick horizontal strike coming from his right side, Sun managed to disarm Adam and knock Wilt out a considerable amount of distance away from him and it made Adam grip his arm from the pain that came with the blow that was dealt to him.

There was no more use in trying to regain Wilt as Sun was finally fed up with this fight. There was also the fact that Blake still needed medical attention and she needed to finish this now or else it would be too late.

Another swing was made by Sun with the enormous Gun staff that he had. It stuck Adam cleanly at the right side of his face and the contact made a crunching sound as Adam's bones get fractured because of the heavy damage that Sun had dealt to him. But along with the swing that Sun had made, the pain that was dwelling in his left hand had suddenly gone too unbearable and it managed to interfere with Sun's ability to wield his weapon effectively and it slipped from his grip.

The Gun staff managed to bury itself within the sand and it would take too much time and effort if Sun decided to retrieve it. Knowing that Adam was already too exhausted and weak in his current state, Sun knew that he could knock him out with his bare hands and that was exactly what he was going to do.

Adam tried to pick himself up after he staggered from the bone crushing strike that he received from Sun's Gun staff. But as soon as he recovers from this, the image of Sun's fist was flying right in front of his face and there was no stopping it from hitting him as it was already too close.

An audible scream of pain can be heard from Adam as Sun's right hook had managed to also break his nose. Blood was now pumping steadily out of his nostrils and its metallic smell also managed to make its way towards Sun. But he was not going to stop until he sees Adam's unconscious body down in the ground.

Punch after punch came towards Adam and there was nothing that he could have done to protect himself from anymore damage being inflicted upon him. The cacophony of bones crunching and flesh being ripped out of him internally can be heard with every punch that Sun was wreaking upon him.

The world was now slowly becoming hazy and blurry as the fatigue and pain caused by his fight with Sun was now slowly becoming more and more intolerable for his body and he was now almost in the brink of giving up.

A left hook even with his severely damaged arm had managed to hit Adam with a huge amount of force and in a moment's notice, Adam slowly stumbles behind his back with his head swaying side to side as if the world had been knocked out of him. And after taking a few steps behind him, he finally gives in to the spinning of the world around him and his body had slowly given itself up to the unconsciousness that was slowly gripping it.

Sun managed to release a sigh of relief, it was all over. The day had been too long and along with it their fight with Adam. He had faced so many challenges that day that it surprised even himself that he managed to survive everything. From Blake suddenly disappearing, his inner struggle, and now his first and hopefully final confrontation with Adam. And he was proud of himself that he had managed to live through all of that.

He inspects Adam's body in order to verify if he was still alive or if he had fully fallen to the extent of his injuries. Surprisingly, Sun could see that Adam was breathing although very slowly. He could see the faint breaths that he was taking and the slow hear rate that was beating from his chest. Adam would be out of commission for a long time as Sun had managed to damage him while his aura was down and that would surely bring with it a number of health concerns. But Sun didn't mind that, not one bit.

Seeing if Adam had any items of value with him, he rummages through his pockets and as he searches through them he discovers that Adam had brought with him his personal scroll. At first glance it would seem that the item was of no value, But Sun knew well enough that Adam might have put valuable information in it and it might reveal the different schemes that he may have had planned for mistral and other major cities within remnant.

He quickly snatches the scroll from Adam's pocket and puts it in his own. At least there was an upside to going through all of the mess that he did today. But something was missing in Adam's belongings and it was his signature sword and gun. The duo that was well known for their name, Wilt and Blush.

Sun had remembered that he had disarmed Adam just a few moments earlier and he had remembered where the weapon had bounced off to. He quickly runs over to where he knocked over Adam's sword and he caught sight of it laying down on the ground slowly gathering sand.

He makes his way over to it and scoops it up with excitement. Sun had remembered their deal earlier and one of those conditions was that the winner would keep the weapon of the loser.

"A deal's a deal pal. Well guess I'm taking you home tonight as a souvenir"

The boy smiles to himself as he managed to snag himself a prize that would remind him of the formidable opponent that he had faced that day. But the smile on his face was immediately dashed as he hears the distressed and pleading cries of the girl that he was looking out for.

"Sun! What are you doing here?"

Blake manages to string up these words as she was completely confused on why Sun was there with her in the wastelands. She knew that she covered her tracks well and there was no way that he could have ever followed her there. And what surprised her even more is the sight of the now beaten Adam helplessly slumped in the ground. It meant that Sun had somehow managed to defeat him despite her earlier attempts to fight him herself.

She tried to get closer to Sun but her body finally had enough of the pain that was constantly battering her. The whole weight of her body gave in once again and Blake had fallen into the ground as her knees turned into jelly and the world around her faded into black once again. She hated this feeling but there was no stopping the inevitable. Blake was once again knocked unconscious and it was only a matter of time before her life came to an end if she took much more of this.

Seeing Blake give in to her injuries had managed to send Sun into a state of disarray and that sent him scrambling towards the fragile girl. He picks her up with the both of his arms and her weight had felt like a ton because of his own exhaustion and the damage that his body had sustained.

Sun cradled Blake in his arms as he starts to sort everything out before he tries to speedily makes his way to the closest sign of civilization. He takes a look at the rags that he had applied to Blake earlier and much to his horror, it had already grown ineffective and the deep punctures that she had managed to open themselves back up and were still slowly draining the blood within Blake's body.

With the support of his legs, Sun manages to carry the weight of both him and Blake while he was standing up and he starts to make his way back into the clearing into the forest in order to give Blake the proper help that she needed.

Every step that Sun took in the sand felt like agony to him as he knew that if he didn't make it out of the wastelands fast enough, he would forever haunted with the guilt of letting Blake die in his arms. And it would mean that he had failed to keep his promise.

"Come on Blake just hang in there. Please hang in there just a little bit more"

The breaths that Sun was taking were now bigger than ever before. He was running like his life depended on it but in that case it was Blake's. He shoved every bit of air that he could pick up in order to push through the weariness and pain that was flowing throughout his body.

His sense of direction and touch were slowly losing its edge. He was as beaten and tired like Blake but the only difference that they shared was that he was conscious and she was not. But the cold breeze that was brushing across his face and the warm blood that was touching his skin managed to snap him out of his trance and that made him push harder to get themselves to safety.

Sun had only managed to cover only a quarter of the distance that was needed in order for the two of them to reach Blake's family. The path in order to get their was slowly getting more dangerous and exhausting as more and more obstacles are presenting themselves that would hinder their progress significantly and he was sure that Blake would not make it if he would force himself to go on.

The only hope that he had was to encounter one of the villages that he had seen while making his way towards the wastelands. Life outside of the main city was scarce and few and far between. But they still existed and Sun had managed to see a few of them on the way here. Judging by their current location in the forest, Sun knew that there was a village nearby and if he pushed himself hard enough then they could make it in there in a minute or less.

He spent no time in trying to travel the remaining distance to the village that he had seen earlier. In a matter of just a minute, Sun was greeted with the welcome sight of houses that could contain the key for Blake's survival. Sun rushes over to the first house that he sees in his right side. He crosses the stone pathway that lead up to its doorstep and with no hesitation, he knocks loudly into the door with the hope that someone was there to help them both with the grave situation that they were in.

"Help! Please we need help. I have a girl here and she's about to die. So please someone help!"

Sun's cries for help were immediately answered by the quick sound of footsteps running around in the wood floor inside the house. They were immediately greeted by an old man who had a thick beard and a bundle of smooth flowing brown hair. He had a lions tail hanging behind him and he immediately rushed both Sun and Blake inside his home without any questions.

"Is there a spare room and medicine supplies that we could use?"

"Don't worry son we have all of that here. There's a spare room upstairs that you can use. Take her there so she could rest and I'll give you the supplies that you need as soon as I find them"

"Thank you very much. It means a lot"

In a quick hustle, Sun makes his way towards the spare room that the kind old man had given them. He quickly opens the door with no signs of hesitation and immediately rushes Blake over to the bed that was located in the left corner of the room.

Sun took a quick glance of the room that they were located in. It was a humble place that barely contained any furniture besides the bookshelf that was directly across the bed that Blake was now laying on and the table and chair that located at its side. But Sun didn't complain as that place was their only refuge after the long day that they had and he was all the more thankful that there was a person that was willing to help them despite them being complete strangers.

The footsteps of the old man coming up the stairs had managed to redirect Sun's attention from the room and towards him. He was given some gauze, cleaning supplies, and medicine that would surely help in medicating Blake properly. But despite all of the fuss that Sun was making regarding Blake's health, the man still made quick notice of his severely damaged arm and he had also given Sun enough medicine to numb the pain and medicate himself.

He couldn't thank the man enough for all of the help that he had given the two of them. Sun would make sure that he would be incentivised in some sort of way but the man assured him that he should worry about that later and focus on the task at hand. With a smile on his face, Sun once again thanks the man but he respectfully asks for privacy. And the kind man obliges and leaves them both.

Sun closes the door behind him and starts the delicate process of mending Blake's wounds.

Blake was breathing steadily but more faint than normal. Sun started the procedure by studying the locations of the wounds. He observes that the two most fatal wounds were located in Blake's right thigh and in the right side of her chest. He carefully removed the coat that Blake was wearing in order to remove the discomfort that she was feeling for wearing such a heavy piece of cloth while she was like this.

But Sun had realized the error of his actions as Blake was only left with nothing but her bare black top to cover herself up while letting the rest of her upper body exposed. Sun was now burning red as he couldn't take the sight of Blake's body in a view like that. He needed to muster up the courage to look at Blake with her body showing more skin than he was used to as the girl was more reserved with how her body looked. But removing Blake's coat seemed to be the right thing to do as it seemed that the girl was more comfortable with the weight that was lifted from her body and her breathing had improved from earlier.

Sun was satisfied with the current results that he was receiving. Blake's body was steadily adjusting to its environment and it seemed that it was going to start getting better from there. But Sun realized that in order to patch up Blake's wound in her right thigh, he would need to remove her pants and leave her with her underwear.

If Sun was already blushing earlier, then words couldn't describe the shame that he was feeling right now. He felt so uncomfortable in that situation and he just couldn't bring himself to look at Blake like that. But he knew that if he didn't saddle up and do it, it would be worse for Blake rather than do her any good if he persisted to be stubborn.

"Come on Sun you can do this. Be a man and face this. Just do it quick so you can save yourself the embarrassment"

With utter care and haste, Sun diligently unbuckles the belt that was covering the waste of Blake's pants. He carefully removes the belt from its buckle in order to properly remove it from her waist. Sun released a quick sigh of relief as he was able to quickly remove Blake's belt but still leave her undisturbed.

But the worst was yet to come for Sun. If removing Blake's belt was already an awkward task then it would get even worse from there as now he needed to remove her pants next in order to apply stitches and gauze to the wound.

There was no use in just sitting idly in there so Sun took a big breath and braced himself for the utter shame and humiliation that he was going to feel.

He starts by grabbing the waistband with both of his hands and begins pulling downward in order to free Blake's legs from being constricted by it. Sun was doing fairly well as he was able to pull down her pants without even managing to disturb her sleep. But as Sun continues on, a ghastly sight had hit him and it was the last thing that he ever wanted to see.

Blake's underwear have finally been exposed as her pants had finally been pulled down enough to reveal them. Sun was stunned at the sight of Blake's matching black panties and he froze as he didn't know what to do. He quickly covers his eyes and tries to erase the image from his head. But he was fairly certain that it was going to haunt him for a very long time.

His face was bright red as he couldn't ignore the fact that he managed to sneak a peek on Blake's underwear. Sun couldn't deny that the fact that he thought that Blake's body looked stunning even while she was unconscious. But it made him guilty that he saw her like this without her even knowing and that started to gnaw on him.

But there was still wounds that he needed to heal and those thoughts were to be reserved for another time. Sun was able to remove Blake's legs from being binder to her pants and he was finally successful in removing the piece of garment that covered the wound that he needed to treat.

The boy sets aside the different medical supplies that were given to him by the old man and he starts treating Blake's wounds by cleaning them with disinfectant.

Sun used a cotton ball in order to dab the disinfectant in the more fresh parts of the wound. He needed to do this so that they won't be infected and cause even more problems for him to deal with. After all of that was taken care of, Sun proceeded to finally stop the bleeding by applying a set of stitches to both the wound on her chest and then to her thigh.

And finally after a few minutes of delicately applying stitches to her wounds, Sun finishes the procedure by tightly covering Blake's right thigh with gauze and bandaging her chest with some clean cloth and some of the leftover gauze.

After Sun had finished with Blake. His attention had suddenly focused into his left hand as he was no longer able to ignore the pain that it caused and he could see that blood was still slowly trickling down its side.

All of the procedures that he had done to Blake were perfectly fabricated as he treated his own injury. It still hurt like hell as many bones and parts of his flesh were damaged by his reckless attempt at matching Adam's semblance. An attempt that he can boast to have worked with flying colors.

Within a few minutes, everything had been finally done and Sun was prepared to call it a day and finally get some rest after the grueling day that he and Blake had.

Blake was peacefully laying down on the bed that was provided to them. She looked so relaxed and calm that Sun decided that he would only be an inconvenience to her if he tried to sleep beside her. So he improvised and took the chair that was put under the desk in the room and he used it as the resting place for his body and placed it near the desk in order to elevate his legs from the ground.

It would be an uncomfortable way to sleep, but he just couldn't bring himself to sleep near Blake and he was sure that he couldn't handle sleeping beside her anyways.

In order to sleep peacefully, Sun turns of the lampshade that was illuminating the room and the only light source left was the steady moonlight that was coming from the window near the ceiling.

Sun gazes at the moon for a moment as he was still recovering from the events of today. Everything that had happened so far had been chaotic and draining both physically and mentally. But he can't help but make a smile on his face as this single moment in the night provided him with enough peace to forget about the ordeals that both him and Blake had faced and it managed to put his mind to rest.

As Sun was about to close his eyes. He saw from the corner of his vision that Blake had suddenly become irritated and was now jittering from her position in the bed. She was knitting her eyebrows together as if something was bothering her and that made Sun immediately rush to her side and see if he could do anything to make her revert back to her peaceful state.

He pulls up the chair that he was using and slowly made his way to the side of the bed and he was now facing Blake. The girl was clearly uncomfortable in her sleep and that would make her morning worse than it should be.

Blake's ears can be visibly twitching and Sun focused his attention there. Blake wouldn't admit it face to face but she really liked her ears getting touched as it would often relax her and it was compared to having a massage except even more pleasant feeling to her.

So Sun went on and delicately used his right hand in order to carefully caress the distressed girl's ears. The feeling of Blake's feline ears touching against his own felt so much relaxing to Sun as it comforted him knowing that Blake was beginning to unwind by what he was doing. A tiny smile was slowly creeping its way in Blake's face and Sun knew that what he was doing was working and it really helped her with her sleeping.

The girl had managed to release a big yawn and that signaled Sun that his job was done and that Blake was fully satisfied with his services. Before leaving her, Sun pulls up some blankets and he covers her body in order to maximize her comfortability.

Sun releases a yawn of his own and that made him realize what time it was. It was almost midnight and he really needed the sleep in order to rest and recover from his injuries. He needed the strength in order to make it all the way back to Blake's mansion and sleep was the answer for his problems.

He makes his way over to the makeshift bed that he had made and he assumed the earlier position that he had earlier. Sun used Blake's coat in order to heat himself up in it sufficed in doing its job. His eyelids were starting to get heavier and heavier as the need for sleep was slowly overtaking him. He returns his gaze back into Blake's direction before he starts to drift into his dreams.

His eyes take one last look at Blake while she was sleeping. The steady breathing that was coming out of her had managed to make Sun loosen up and his worries for the girl had finally faded off into the past. Sun admires her beauty as she truly looked beautiful especially with less clothes on but he tried to remove those unsavory thoughts from his mind.

But what truly made his night was the smile that Blake was wearing while in her sleep. The girl had finally received the peace that she deserved for the longest time and it gave him so much joy knowing that it would be better from there on out.

Sun still had many questions for Blake to answer. And he also couldn't deny that he was still feeling thoughts of anger and disappointment from her. But Sun decided to ignore them for just this night. He decided that this was not the appropriate place to tackle these problems and he would deal with them when they were in the proper setting and time.

It also didn't help that he still had feelings harbored for Blake. It was a sin that he still hadn't told her about his true feelings and he was sure to receive a beating from Khali for not going through with her advice to tell Blake that he liked her.

Sun takes one last look at Blake before finally closing his eyes and relaxing his body. Even in his sleep the image of Blake could not be erased from his mind and it did nothing but cement his feelings for her.

"How can you expect me to not fall in love with you?"

* * *

 **So as promised, I was able to deliver this chapter within the week and it surprised me that I was able to make it this fast considering that the last two took forever to make. It could be attributed to the fact that I had the main outline for this chapter made long ago or maybe it's because the last two chapters were heavy combat scenes.**

 **I was also considering whether or not to share this fic on reddit since a lot of people are interested in fanfictions there and I would really like to get some more feedback to improve upon. Maybe I will maybe I won't. You will know if you constantly visit the sub reddit like me.**

 **It's also important to take note that this chapter can serve as the prelude for the introduction for all the other girls of team RWBY. I intend of adding them all later on as the next arc of the story will mainly take place on mistral and a huge cast of characters will also be added in later chapters and that will be a real challenge once we cross that boat.**

 **Once again sorry for the long wall of text that is known as my author's notes and I thank each and every one of you for following this story constantly and supporting it by reading each chapter that comes out. As always I appreciate any kind of constructive criticism and I would appreciate if you would take some of your time and leave a review for this story so that I may improve more and more as time passes.**

 **As always, thank you for the support and see you in the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

The warm air and the quiet atmosphere was a welcome feeling to Blake as she wakes up from her wondrous sleep. She felt so exhausted and this made her memories flow back to her slowly but steadily. Blake remembered that she almost died the day before and she couldn't believe that she was still alive.

Remembering this, she takes a look at the wounds that she remembered that were inflicted upon her and see what was done with them overnight.

She takes a look at her chest and she sees that it was medicated properly with gauze applied to it and that it was properly disinfected and treated. The same can also be said about her right thigh as it was also bandaged as well

Finally relieved, she takes a deep breath and absorbs the new environment that she was in. It was no longer the dreary wastelands that she was once stuck in but now a comfortable room with proper lighting and lively atmosphere. She felt safe within this room even though she didn't know where she was or what the circumstances were that bought her here. But at least she knew that she was finally safe. Adam was finally beaten and that problem was finally finished and she didn't have to deal with it ever again.

Blake rubs her hands against her eyes in order for them to clear up and wake herself from the sleepiness that was still overpowering her. But she suddenly remembered something that made her jolt up from the bed and frantically look around the room for the person that supposedly followed her into the wastelands.

Her memory brings her back to the time when she saw Sun beating up Adam before she inadvertently passed out. She forgot about him completely for a few seconds and now she was scanning around the room in order to find at least a trace of him to verify if he was okay or not.

A sigh of relief passes over her as she saw the peaceful boy was sound asleep although in an uncomfortable position. Blake decides to check up on him and she stands up from the bed that she previously slept on. But her panic had once again started to become evident as she saw the aftermath of his battle with Adam

Sun was sleeping in the chair that was provided with the room while he laid his two legs on top of the table that accompanied that chair. He placed two arms across his chest while he slept and Blake saw his left hand and it made her gasp in shock.

It was bandaged in many layers although clumsily and a lot of blood had seeped out of it. It was also obvious that he had broken many fingers. The only reason that Blake could think of on why Sun's bandages were this crudely made is because he had focused all of his attention into mending her wounds. And that made Blake feel guilty inside as Sun had given so much to her.

But there was still the problem of his bandages needing to be replaced and she was still worried if he was feeling pain or any discomfort. Without thinking about it, she mounts Sun through his thighs and shakes him around in order to wake him up from his sleep.

She cupped her hands against Sun's face in order to take a better look at him. Sun's eyes were slowly opening up as the pressure of Blake pressing against his legs were starting to wake him up.

Blake's fears were finally quelled as Sun had finally fully opened his eyes and was now fully conscious. She hugged him furiously as the sight of him made her all the more happy knowing that he was safe. She was thankful that he had been there for her despite her being superbly stubborn amidst all of his offers for help with all of her problems.

"Whoa, whoa whoa. Slow down their Blake. What's the matter is something wrong?"

Blake pulls away from the now visibly conscious Sun who was giving her a puzzling look as her sudden actions made him wake up from his sleep. And he certainly did not expect this type of behaviour from Blake herself. The girl on top of him was giving him a smile of genuine happiness. This was what Sun had wanted for Blake in a very long time and he had finally seen the day that it was possible.

But Sun couldn't ignore the things that Blake had done to him and to her family that almost lead to her death. He knew that he couldn't give her a pass for that and she needed to atone for the trouble that she had caused to him and to her parents.

Sun could still feel the considerable amount of Blake's body resting against his thighs. Then the boy's regular tanned skin transformed into a bright shade of red as he recognizes the awkward position that the two of them were sharing. He also tried to avert his eyes from the scantily clad body that Blake was showing right in front of him without her even noticing it.

So like the gentleman that he is, Sun decides to remind the clueless girl that was sitting on his lap that she was wearing some less than decent clothes right in front of him

"Um Blake, you do know that you're just in your underwear. Right?"

"Don't look! Don't look! Don't look!"

Realizing that she was just in her bare clothes and that she was flaunting her body right in Sun's face, Blake scrambles for the blankets that she had used earlier and blushes furiously as she knows that Sun had seen her like this as soon as she mounted him carelessly.

She covers herself up as she scrambles to get the neatly folded clothes that were laying in the foot of her bed. Blake couldn't change properly as she needed privacy in order to comfortably put on the clothes that she had once had on.

But before she could directly ask Sun for some privacy, he was already one step ahead of her and politely offers her some alone time in order for her to freshen up and dress properly for the occasion.

"I'll leave you be so that you can change to some more, appropriate clothing. And hurry up, your parents are waiting for you and I'm sure that they are worried sick"

"Okay I'm on it. And thank you Su-"

Before Blake could thank Sun for the privacy that he had given her. He suddenly storms out of the room and slams the door behind him without even acknowledging the thanks that Blake was about to give him.

Something was obviously wrong with Sun and Blake could already feel it with how he moves and how he talked. With the few moments that they had shared just in the span of the few minutes that she had woken up, Blake could already tell that something was gnawing at him. Usually Sun would make jokes even with simple conversations with her and he would surely not act that rudely like slamming the door on her if something was not troubling him.

All that she could do now was to take the clothes that would properly cover her body and wear them in order for her to not feel as vulnerable as she was earlier. She would deal with Sun immediately as this was a problem that she wanted to solve as soon as possible. Blake was indebted to Sun big time. After all, he was the man that saved him from the grasp of death.

After a few minutes of struggling with her injuries and painstakingly putting her clothes back on, Blake makes her way outside of the room and directly into a balcony that overlooked the small living room of the mystery house that they were staying at.

From her point of view, Blake could see that the room directly below the balcony instantly lead to a small living room that contained a couch and two chairs that were directly encircling a smooth wooden coffee table that was laying in the middle of the room.

Feelings of nostalgia were slowly creeping its way inside Blake's mind. The scene in front of her reminder her of the office room that was located back at her house along with her parents.

It made her eager to finally make her way back to them and explain everything that had happened to her ever since she received that dreaded letter. But she also couldn't help but be afraid of what her parents would think of her after running away from them for a second time. Surely they would hate her after everything that she had done to them. But Blake didn't care anymore. All that she wanted was to see the wonderful faces of her parents again and she would gladly accept any punishment that she would receive after making herself be in a position that could cost her life and for lying to them about it.

But the familiar sight of Sun had shaken up her thoughts and it made her observe what was happening between him and the man that she didn't know that was sitting directly right in front of him.

He looked like the same age as her father and sounded like him as well. But his bodily features are what made him distinguishable because of the obvious tail that he had behind his back that was of a lion and the smooth and silky brown hair that he had.

The two were sharing a polite and enjoyable conversation as the two of them exchange stories over a cup of coffee. Sun and this mystery man would go back and forth between their discussion and Blake thought that the two of them were honestly having fun. She smiles as the prospect of Sun being happy had brightened up her earlier mood. But that feeling was about to be washed away as the stern man that Sun had been talking to had noticed her presence from the balcony and direct his attention towards her.

"Oh you're finally awake. Come downstairs and I'll make you some coffee. You seem to have recovered from you're injuries quite well. I expected no less from huntsmen like you two"

"Thank you for your concern and yes I have been healing quite substantially. But may I ask, why are we in here?"

"Well it's quite an interesting story but not as long as you think. You see I heard this young man screaming bloody murder in front of my doorstep while banging on the door. I immediately went out in order to see what the commotion is all about. Then I see you being carried by him with blood all over while asking for help. So I obliged and provided you the proper equipment in order for him to treat your wounds."

"He did a remarkable job in cleaning and stitching your wounds. But the same thing can't be said about his arm though. It's not bandaged properly and he knows it"

"Relax I'll handle it after this. And really, thank you for everything. And I didn't get to catch your name, what is it?"

"Leon, you can call me Leon"

"Well Leon, thank you for everything. And are you sure that you won't accept my gift of gratitude? It is a hefty amount of lien and it doesn't even compare to the help that you have given us"

"Oh please don't sweat it. Times are dark nowadays and all that we have is each other. All that I want is to know that I did everything that I can to help and that I was able to save a life"

The two men end their conversation and Sun takes one more sip at his coffee. Then he proceeds over to the kitchen and reaches at one of the cupboards that were located there. He opens one of them and retrieves the extra medical supplies that were left over from earlier and he removes the worn out bandages that he had in order to replace them and properly clean his wounds this time.

Blake decides to help him with his heavily damaged arm as she couldn't believe to imagine how painful it was for Sun to undergo this process.

"Do you need any help with that Sun?"

"Don't sweat it. I can do this by myself. Just sit over there and rest, we're going to have to leave right away so check our stuff upstairs"

"Are you sure? It's going to be quicker if I-"

"I said I don't need your help Blake. Can't you understand that?"

Sun raised the tone of his voice as if he was trying to deliberately stave Blake away from him. An audible moan can be heard from him as he unwraps the poorly made bandages that he had with the hopes of redoing them properly this time.

Blake's face sinks as Sun continues to make his resentment for her even more pronounced. She knew that he was mad at her for not telling him about her confrontation with Adam and that if he had not chosen to chase after her, she would probably be dead right now.

All that she could do was to look for guidance from the man that she now knows as Leon. She tried to look for any sort of advice as how to approach the problem that she had with Sun.

She moved her gaze towards Leon who was awkwardly observing the scene in front of him. But all that he could give her was a shrug and a simple shake of the head as he wasn't very acquainted with them and didn't know the gravity of the situation.

Knowing that she can't do anything as of that moment, she just sends her thanks towards Leon and takes one last look at Sun who was now under the process of re bandaging his own wounds.

So with a heavy heart, she makes her way upstairs once again. The creak of the stairs were indirectly making her even worse as they confirmed that the loud friend that she had was not in the right mood for games as much as she wanted him to be that way.

Blake finally makes it back to the room that was provided to them. She quietly closes the door behind her and as soon as she does, she collapses with her back pressed against it. Even though she was done with the threat to her life, even more problems are arising from the decisions that she had made that lead her here. She just wanted things to return the way they were before. And in order for that to happen, she just needed to press on with the path that she had set for herself.

Blake takes a couple of moments to recollect her thoughts and strengthen her fortitude. This was not the only confrontation that she would have to face and it was already weighing down on her that she affected a lot people negatively because of the lies that she had told. She still had to deal with her parents and it was going to break her heart knowing that they were as hurt as Sun was or even more so.

After deciding that she was finally ready to take the gruelling journey back to her home, Blake decides to prepare the belongings that she and Sun had and check if they had misplaced anything as to not leave anything behind.

She looks over to the table that Sun had inadvertently slept at and looks at the contents that were placed on top of it. Blake can see the familiar sight of Sun's signature weapon sitting on top of the table. It was the only thing that Sun had bought with him as he didn't even bring any rations or extra supplies for his own journey through the forest. Knowing Sun he had probably scrambled after her immediately after her found out that she was missing.

But the question was still in the air. How did Sun find out about the location were Adam and her were supposed to meet? The answer was immediately given to her as alongside the weapon that Sun possessed, it was the crumbled letter that she had thrown into the trashcan the day she left after Adam.

Blake truly cursed that letter as it was the main cause of all the problems that had flooded her life up to now. But she couldn't do anything that wasn't already done. She just puts the paper back into her pocket and would make sure to deal with it later.

The girl continuously rummages around the room with the hope that she could find the backpack that she had bought along in her journey. Blake eventually found it in the space under the bed that was located in the corner of the room and she reaches over in order to retrieve it. She had grabbed hold of one of the straps and she starts to pull it towards her. But her attention was suddenly redirected to a crimson glow coming from the dark space of the bed.

It peaked her interest as it was a foreign object and she didn't know what it was. So after pulling the backpack that was hers and placing it on top of the bed, Blake proceeds to grab hold of the peculiar object underneath the bed.

Her hand tried to feel around as to know what the shape of the object was. She was surprised to feel that there was a handle on the object that she was trying to reach and that gave her the ability to pull it out in one go.

Much to Blake's surprise, it was the iconic blade that was owned by Adam along with its sheathe that also functioned as a gun. Her mind started to race as to what it was doing there. She never saw Adam without the beloved duo in his arms and it amazed her that she was touching it right now as even she was not given access to the blade even when she was with the white fang.

The logical way that it would end up in there was because of Sun. He was the last person to ever see Adam after she passed out and he was able to even beat him. She didn't know why Sun took Adam's weapon but she did have the choice to ask him about it later.

She set aside the sword on top of the bed and Blake proceeds to prepare her belongings for the travel all the way back to her house along with Sun. It was sure to take a couple of hours and she wanted to be prepared for the long trek ahead.

* * *

Some time has passed and Sun had finally finished cleaning and bandaging his badly disfigured arm. It was surely better than his earlier attempt at treating it. He was satisfied with his work but it still hurt like hell no matter how much he tried to ignore it. His aura would make short work of it after a good days rest but that was a long way ahead of him as they still had to make their way over to Blake's house.

Sun decides to drink a glass of water after the exhausting process of medicating his own arm. After drinking the glass of water, he places it over the counter and takes his seat back on the living room with Leon staring back at him with a look of concern.

"What, did I do something wrong?"

"Well you were kind of harsh to your girlfriend earlier. You could have been more friendly that's for sure"

Sun's heart skips a beat as he was surprised that Leon thought of them both as a couple. But he quickly informs him about the status between him and Blake.

"Where did you get that from? We're just friends, nothing more nothing less. She even told me that once before"

"You could have done better to cheer her up. It seems like she faced something traumatic and I think you should be more supportive"

"That's the thing. All that I have done for her was to be there for her when she needed me. And even then she still doesn't trust in me no matter what I do"

"I guess it's also my fault. No matter how much she hurts me like this I just can't help but to continue to love her"

A period of silence was floating in the room for a short while. But as Sun stares straight at Leon, he notices the smile that was now plastered all over his face and it made him wonder what he was smiling for.

But his mind races back to the last sentence that had slipped from his mouth. Once again he unassumingly gets to revealing with his emotions and revealed it in front of Leon who was now smiling with amusement as Sun confirms his suspicions without the man even forcing him to.

"You just don't know when to shut up do you?"

"Look I'm stressed out I can't help myself. So can you just keep quiet about it?"

"Fine, I'll keep my mouth shut. But I'm going to give you a piece of advice that you're probably going to need"

"Go ahead. I will probably need it"

"Just be straight with her. You don't need to coop up your emotions like that. Try your best and hey, maybe it will all workout in the end"

"Well I can dream, but it's not as easy as you think"

"It's better that not trying at all that's for sure"

Before Sun could respond, the sound of the door closing upstairs managed to keep his tongue tied and prevented him from continuing his conversation with Leon. They both look at Blake who was slowly limping downstairs. Obviously caused by the open wound that was still healing in her right leg.

Blake was now carrying her backpack in her shoulders and was now ready to take on the long journey ahead. But as she was making her way downstairs, Sun could see that she was now also carrying the prize that he had claimed from Adam's defeat. Blake was clutching Wilt with both of her arms with feelings of anxiety showing in her face.

This made it clear to Sun that Blake had been partially traumatized by their encounter with Adam. Her fear was visible from her bright amber eyes. They seemed dull for no apparent reason and they slightly lost the shine that made them all the more mesmerizing.

Sun couldn't bear looking at Blake's face like that. She was broken and pieces of her were in dire need of care and love. So he does the reasonable thing and quickly takes the blade away from Blake's possession in order to relieve her from the burden of carrying it.

Everything that they had bought with them has been accounted for and the two of them were finally ready to take the long and difficult journey back to where they belong.

Leon accompanies them as the trio make their way outside. The sudden blare of the sun managed to blind Blake's eyes as she tries to adjust to the bright surroundings bought upon by the sunlight.

She never thought that she would ever miss the scorching heat and often irritating rays of sunlight that would bombard her in a day to day basis. But feeling these two things right now made her conscious to the reality that she was still alive. It made her thankful that she was still dwelling in this world and around the people that she cared about.

They all walk down the stone pathway that and eventually they had reached the end of it and it signaled the two's departure from the humble presence of the man that they had just met. People like that are now few and far between and Blake was thankful that they had managed to stumble upon him in the right place and right time.

"Hey Leon. I just want to say Thank you. You basically saved my life and if it weren't for you, I probably won't be standing here right now"

"It's not a problem. Most folks here don't even peep their heads out in order to socialize or anything. It's nice to meet a couple of new faces every now and then"

"Well thanks for everything. And I hope that we can meet again someday when I'm not on the verge of death"

"I wish for that too. And Sun by the way, don't forget about my advice. Just man up and do it"

"You do know that you're not the first one to tell me that right?"

"Tell you about what?"

"Nothing! nothing! it's not important. Let's just go we want to make it there before sundown and we have a lot of ground to cover"

The two exchange their final farewell with Leon who pleasantly sees them away as they resume their journey. He can't help but smile as he thinks about the many misadventures that the two of them would inevitably face in the future. The two of them seemed inseparable even though he had only known them for at least a day.

With all that said and done, he makes his way inside his humble abode as he was about to clean up from the remnants of what Sun and Blake had left behind from their stay. 

Both Sun and Blake were following the dirt path that was laid before them for the first hurdle in their journey. It would eventually lead to an opening that would take them to the thicket of the jungle that would overall take them to their final destination.

They were both under the excruciating heat of the sun and with it came the inevitable beads of sweat that was enveloping Blake's body.

Even with her clothing the heat was still bothering her a ton but at least it gave more room for her skin to breathe and it made the heat slightly more bearable than it should be under these circumstances.

The long trek that they were taking would obviously take a long time and Blake was hoping to find any source of entertainment that would help the time pass by quicker. But all that she was greeted with was the awkward silence that she was sharing with Sun and the obvious tension that was looming around the air.

The only thing that was breaking the silence between them was of the sound of their shoes coming in contact with the dirt ground that they were treading on and the ambient sounds around them as they continue to walk towards the general direction that they were going at.

Blake just wanted to bombard Sun with many questions and topics of conversation. She wanted to apologize to him but she could tell that he was not in the mood to talk to her. She tried to find a way in order to ease him into a place in where the two of them can finally talk to one another comfortably again.

The one thing that Blake was most curious about was the reason why Sun had Wilt in his possession. Adam's once fearsome blade was now not within his grasp but was now located and being carried by Sun who was carrying it around as they make their way towards the jungle.

She would admit that the sight of the sword would strike fear to her heart every time that she catches a glimpse of it. Her mind would flash back to the times when she would clash with it and the many deaths that were bought about because of its presence.

"Sun I have to ask, why do you have Adam's sword with you?"

"I just took it from him while he was unconscious. It would have been dangerous if I let him have it until now"

"Would you use it? It is functional and I'm sure that you have the skill to wield it"

"Look it's the only thing you need to know. I took it from him and now it's with me. Worry about it later when we're finally done with this"

Blake stopped from walking because of Sun's surprisingly cold demeanor towards her. She had never seen Sun like this before and she was certainly not happy with herself as she knew that she bought this upon herself. All that she wanted to do right now was to wrap Sun under her embrace and apologize to him with every bit of sincerity and soul that she wanted to give with it.

This person never gave up on her no matter how stubborn and naive she was to the problem right in front of her. No matter how much she hurt Sun, he never wavered and seemed stronger every time she tried to knock him down. His spirit was unbreakable and she was truly blessed to have a person like him in her life.

And now Sun was being deliberately trying to avoid any kind of contact with her and it hurt knowing that their relationship was broken by her.

Her eyes were starting to get foggy as tears were starting to form within them. She tried to hold them back with all of her might but no matter how much she forced herself to suppress them from falling, she was powerless in the face of her emotions and tears were flowing down her face and she tries her best to stay quiet.

She needed some time in order to recover from her sudden outburst. Blake continued to distance herself from Sun in order for her to properly cry away all of the tears that were still flowing from her eyes.

Blake covered her mouth with her hands as to silence the pitiful cries of sadness that were uncontrollably coming out of her. She couldn't explain the sudden burst emotion that she was feeling right now and how she got so upset just by a few words that Sun threw at her.

Fragile was the only thing that could describe Blake's state of mind. It was like glass that a simple push could break it. And she was almost at her breaking point.

Blake was about to collapse in her hands and knees on the ground as she felt so defeated in the midst of her emotions. But unexpectedly, a pair of two hands had managed to save her again before she could fall deeper into the depression that was suddenly flooding her.

She could feel Sun's two hands grabbing her by her shoulders as he gently pulls her up from the ground. The two of them were now facing each other eye to eye and she could see the look on Sun's face clearly now.

Concern was written all along his face as his right hand slowly places a finger over Blake's bright skin and wipes away the tears that stained her face. Sun did a good job and nothing but a few traces were left in Blake's face.

But Sun was not done with his acts of affection. The veil that was plaguing her heart was suddenly lifted as he lovingly puts Blake in a full blown hug that managed to absorb every gripe that she was feeling within herself.

The world seemed to slow down as Blake burys her face within Sun's chest and she allowed herself to empty out her eyes from anymore liquid that was stored within them.

She felt safe within Sun's warm embrace. It's as if nothing could hurt her while he was around and the world revolved around her every time that he looks at her with those bright eyes.

"Hey, I'm sorry for being such a dick. I didn't realize that I was making you upset. I promise I won't do it again"

"I just have things to deal with and I don't mean to throw my frustrations at you"

"You don't have to say sorry Sun. It's because of me, I know that you hate me so much right now"

"Hey I don't hate you, it's just.."

"We'll talk about this later like I said. Wouldn't want to keep your parents waiting"

"I know that but-"

Blake was abruptly stopped by Sun as he inches his face closer to her. He planted a small kiss on top of her forehead and that silenced her from anymore words that she had planned to let out of her mouth.

She felt warm inside as Sun had never showed her this much affection before and this was the first time that he had ever done anything of this level. Blake didn't know why but she suddenly felt hotter than usual and her heart was beating faster than its regular rate.

Her heart was starting to flutter and her face was covered by a subtle shade of red. She didn't know why but certain feelings were rising out of her and she couldn't point a finger as to why she was feeling that why.

Blake felt the urge to step things up and return the favor to Sun. Her instincts were bouncing up and down and was telling her to kiss Sun while she was enveloped in his embrace. She felt a strong pull to submit to her instincts but her mind brings her back to the feelings that she had for Yang. She couldn't betray her like this and she was sure that Sun and her would only remain as friends for as long as they were together.

But before Blake could make up any rational decision to confront the feelings that she was having. Sun clutches her hand and holds it with his own.

Sun managed to intertwine his hand with Blake's and he started to resume the quiet walk that they were having.

All that Blake could do right now was follow Sun as they now walk alongside each other as Sun grips her hand with a pleasant warmth that she was happy to be there.

She didn't know what she felt just then but she was happy to know that there was still hope for the two of them to mend the bond that was once closely knit between the two of them

Little did Blake know, something inside her was blossoming that she never knew that existed. And this was the first sign for the things to come.


	11. Chapter 11

The sweltering heat of the sun had been blotted out by the lush green leaves of the trees that were looming above the duo's heads. Both Blake and Sun had been retracing their steps and traversing the many different obstacles that were laid before them in order to make it out of the dense forest.

Blake was still not in the best of shape even with the treatment that she had received from Sun. She needed to double her effort in her movements in order to properly make it through the trampled trees and muddy dirt paths that were littered along the way that they needed to get through.

But her plights were not ignored as Sun did his best in order to assist Blake with the best of his abilities. With every step that Blake took, he was there in order to make sure that she was alright and held her hand along the way.

The fresh change of scenery had finally managed to alleviate some of the traumatic memories that Blake would still have in her mind. Her vision was finally free from the blandness of the desert and the vast nothingness that it contained. All that she could see around her was the refreshing shades of green that are scattered among the many trees and overgrowth that was pleasing her eyes.

It managed to pull her out of her thoughts and just made her live in the moment. This was the peace that she wanted to live for and she was happy that she was still alive to experience it.

Sun had noticed that Blake was starting to slow down with her steps and he looks over to her and was amused at what he saw. She looked awestruck while observing what Sun could only describe as her very own dreamland as she revelled in the sight of it.

"Hey you look you just stumbled upon paradise. Are you okay?"

"It's nothing. I just feel so... surreal and I don't know why"

"Well if I survived a near death situation I would probably feel the same way. After all your chances of surviving were pretty low"

"What do you mean that my chances were low?"

"I didn't mean to make it sound like an insult okay. But you were in a really bad pinch and if I haven't stepped in, I can't think of what might have happened to you"

"Well what do you want me to say? Thanks for saving me and your my hero. You really want me to say that?"

"Look let's just keep going okay. We can't waste time or else we're going to have to travel until night time and I'm sure that your family would lose their minds if they don't see you for another day"

"Fine, let's get to it then"

The tension between the two returns without no apparent reason even with their earlier reconciliation. Blake had been slightly offended with what Sun was trying to imply in their conversation. But she can't help but feel bad for being so arrogant despite her stand in the situation. Sun was definitely right with her chances of surviving and was most definitely correct in stating that if he hadn't done anything to pull her out of that situation, she wouldn't be alive to be thankful for her life right now.

She didn't know why she was acting like this even though she meant well for Sun and wanted nothing more than for them to make up. But deep inside she didn't want to concede to the fact that she was wrong with every decision that she had made and she just didn't want to be reminded of it.

The journey had once again returned to the state of awkward silence with only the sounds of footsteps and grunts with every obstacle that they had to traverse.

Over the course of the ongoing journey that they were taking, Blake could feel the wound in her right thigh being slightly irritated as she continuously applies pressure to it with every step and strenuous action that she makes. Overtime, the pain starts to get more noticeable and unbearable and Blake now start to stumble about as she tries to rebalance her body.

Her body was about to fall to the ground as the pain coming from her right thigh had started to become worse and worse and Blake was slowly being overpowered by it. But before she could, Sun was able hold out his hand and Blake was able to grab hold of it before she could make contact with the hard dirt floor.

"What happened? Don't tell me that you're about to faint right now"

"No no. It's okay I just lost my balance for a second I'm fine. Like you said we're losing time so let's just hurry and get this over with"

"Look its clear there's something wrong so why don't you just tell me?"

"I'm fine okay, just let me go and we'll be on our way"

Sun reluctantly lets go of Blake's hand despite knowing that there was something wrong with what Blake was feeling despite her not acknowledging it right in front of him. He was used to this demeanour of hers but Sun was slowly getting fed up with it. He was prepared to let bygones be bygones but Blake was making it hard to make him forgive her and was strengthening the fact that she had yet to learn any lesson from the experiences that she had recently had.

Before Blake could even two steps forward, she loses her balance slowly but catches herself before once again falling into the ground but she manages to kneel with her left leg in order to alleviate the pain from her right one.

"Your wound is acting up again isn't it? Must've hit the bone if it's hurting like that"

"We can't waste anymore time we don't have the privilege to do so. I'm just going to have to power through it no matter what"

"You can't just ignore the fact that you're still busted up. I guarantee you that we can't even make it halfway there if you continue to hop around like an injured animal."

Blake blocks out Sun's words and she continues to be stubborn and tries to push herself so that they can continue to move forward. But no matter how much she tried the pain was just too much and she couldn't push her body to work through the pain.

"Why can't you just set your pride aside and let me help you. It's just going to be bad for me as it is for you if you don't let me help you"

"What do you plan on doing to help me anyway. It's not like you can magically accelerate my aura to heal it or something"

"It's a decent idea but I can't exactly do that even with how my semblance works now. But I have something in mind"

"Just give me your hand for now and I'll try to sling you over my shoulder. Maybe it can help you move but it will hinder us a bit"

"We don't really have any choice"

The two commence what Sun had suggested and he picked up Blake from the ground and slung her arm over his shoulder. The idea was that Blake's weight would be supported by Sun and they would slowly walk their way towards the destination that they intended to go to in a brutally slow fashion. No matter how much time that they would waste by travelling with this method, it was the only way that Blake could be able to move by herself and they were locked into that position.

But they haven't even been travelling for a solid minute until Blake can be audibly heard moaning in pain because of her injuries. Even with the support from Sun, her right leg was still powerless to support the stress of her walking around like that and it seemed hopeless for both Sun and Blake to travel in a steady pace.

"Sun we have to think of something. We can't stay the night here it would be too dangerous"

"I know, I know. So why don't we just make this quick and just hop on my back"

"What, are you crazy!? You can't just carry me all the way back to my house"

"You can test me. Look we don't have any kind of transportation or any way to treat your wounds and ease the pain. It's the only way that we can actually travel and we can actually make steady time"

"Why do you have to act like the hero all the time Sun? I can handle myself so just pick me backup and I'll walk even if I have to cleave my leg off"

"Look I'm not trying to be the hero here. You're the one who's helplessly trying to force your way out of this problem okay. Don't make it look like I'm trying to show off because I'm not. I just want to get us home and be done with everything that had happened over the past couple of days"

Blake just stood there in silence while staring directly at Sun. She didn't know how to respond to his retort and all that she could do was to stand there and shut up. It's as if the whole world had stopped and the two were stuck in a loop that only she had the ability to break. The only thing that reminded her that time was still flowing normally was the harsh beating that she was experiencing from her right thigh.

Nothing would come out of this if they would continue to fight right now. So Blake finally goes with the logical decision no matter how much it embarrassed her to submit to Sun's pleas. Along with that, she didn't have it in her heart to make Sun suffer so much in her stead just because she was too injured to move on her own. And that's what made her decline the proposition so much. She just didn't want Sun to be hurt any longer.

"Fine I'll hop on your back and let's see if this plan of yours can work. But if it does, it's okay if you don't carry me all the way. I just need some time to recover"

"Please, that wound of yours needs time to recover and I'm sure as hell that it won't heal itself over a course of an hour or so. Let's just see how far we can make it"

She limps slowly towards Sun as she assumes the position that they needed in order for Sun to properly carry her. He bends over in order for Blake in order to properly hop on his back. The girl was finally able to position her chest on Sun's back and lays on it and suspends herself from the ground by wrapping her legs around him.

Her ears had picked up on Sun's quiet grunt as the weight of her body finally goes down on Sun as he tries to properly balance Blake behind his back.

He tries to take a few test steps forward in order to get a feel of what he was dealing with. But in no time, Sun quickly gets familiarized in how he should move and finally the two can make further progress towards the home that they had been longing for.

Blake could feel every vibration that came with Sun's movements. Every step that he took sent her body shaking along with it as he felt that the boy was giving it his all in order to finish this herculean task. Sun's hands were wrapped around her legs in order to secure her in position and to prevent them from rocking back and forth in order to minimize its movements to prevent further damage to her injuries.

Sun's once spry attitude had all been extinguished as he exerts more and more energy in order to support Blake's weight along with his. Every single step that he made, Blake could feel the fatigue in Sun build up more and more as he pants slightly louder every time and beads of sweat can now be visibly seen dripping against his face and back.

But no matter how tired he looked, Sun never wavered and continued the same consistent movement that he had at the beginning of their trek and maintained it until now.

The bright rays of sunlight were now starting to reappear slowly and to make matters worse, they were all hitting Sun no matter how much he tried to distance himself from them. The trees above were now doing next to nothing in order to protect them from the heat of the sun but Blake was making it all the more bad for him as her body also contributed to the discomfort that he would be feeling right now.

She burry's her head on Sun's back with the intent to comfort him from the burden that she has placed on him. The boy as doing everything in his power in order for them the make it through this ordeal and she was doing nothing but being a thorn to his side and acting so rudely no matter how much he treated her greatly.

It was now dawning on Blake how much she meant to Sun. She was realizing that their relationship together was so one sided that it made her sad thinking that she was unable to contribute anything healthy to their friendship and she was being unfair all this time.

Blake slowly wraps her arms around Sun, she didn't care if this caused him more discomfort than it should have. She just felt that it was what he needed, some reassurance that his actions were being recognized.

They continue this process while still being accompanied by the silence between them. Maybe this was what they needed all along. Some time with their own thoughts just to think about what they should be really thinking about. Blake still had her parents to worry about and she most definitely needed to apologize to them profusely. She wanted nothing more than to jump in to their arms and tell them that she was never going to do the stupid mistake that she did ever again.

But even though she had that in mind. Blake can't help but to bounce back right to Sun no matter how much she wanted her mind to be blank. But the effort that Sun was putting into helping her was overflowing and it was the hardest thing that she ever needed to ignore even though he would probably insist for her to do so.

As they were approaching a steep hill. Sun made sure to tighten his grip on Blake's legs in order to make sure that she won't fall off due to the slope that would lead upwards. It would be a hard climb, but Blake was confident in Sun's ability to make it through this. But it didn't mean that it would be easy.

Sun starts to take his first few steps into the mud tracked slope. The path was definitely slippery and one small misstep can send the two of them tumbling towards the bottom. Precaution was the name of the game for this one and Sun was sure to take every step with every bit of care that it needed to.

Blake's fingers were now gripping Sun tightly than before as she was scared that she might lose her grip because of the uphill path that they were climbing. She was scared for Sun and not much for her own as she knew that he would be badly injured if they fell down as there is a large percentage that she would topple him because of their position.

"Are you sure you can hold on? I can get down from you and just climb up the hill"

"I'm fine, you would probably slip because of your condition right now and things will get much much worse"

"I don't want you to get hurt. Just put me down to ease some of the work. I don't want to be a burden to you"

Her complaints were met with silence as Sun continues to tread the slope. He was slowly approaching the top of the hill and it looked like they were going to pass this without any sort of tragedy happening. But before Blake could breathe a sigh of relief, the worse comes to worse and Sun slightly miscalculates his step and starts sliding down the dirt.

If they continued to descend like this, they would crash at the bottom and Blake was sure that it would wreak another injury to her or to Sun if they crashed.

But without any consideration for his own well being, Sun was able to abruptly stop their descent by lying hard with his face flat on the ground and his arms supporting his body. He was successful with that attempt and he was able to stop them from falling down with the cost of some injuries dealt to him.

Blake was able to see that Sun forcefully stopped their descent and she was trying to get a glimpse of his face and arms to look at the results of what had just happened. But before she could do so, Sun gets up from his position and just shrugs of the mishap that had just happened. He was now furiously powering through the slippery slope and with enough effort, they were finally successful in conquering that dreaded hill.

On her own initiative, Blake gets off of Sun although slowly as she still felt the sting that was coming from her leg. Oh how she cursed that pain so badly but right now there were more important things to attend to.

Sun was crouched on the ground as he tries to wipe off the mud that gotten to his face and arms due to his attempt to stop them from plummeting down the steep hill. Blake was there to help him and they were able to wipe off most of the dirt and gravel. But what lay underneath was not better than the dirt that had covered it as it revealed that Sun had received bruises on his arms and a cut that was located in his right cheek that was bleeding a little bit.

Blake tried her best in order to clean up the wounds a little bit and to remove some of the blood that came due to the cut that Sun had received. While doing this Sun just sits their quietly without any emotion on his face. He wasn't looking sad or angry. He just sat there motionless and that made Blake worry more and more.

All of this was her doing. Sun was unnecessarily injured because of her and it made it all the more painful knowing that she was powerless in this situation to do anything about it. She was about to start digging for any supplies that she still had in her bag in order to at least treat the injuries momentarily. But before she could start rummaging through her bag, Sun holds her hand and stops her from doing so.

"I'm fine, it's just a scratch and some bruises. It's nothing that my aura can't heal right now"

"Come on Sun please. Let me just cover it up or something. I can't just let you exert yourself further in this state"

"Trust me I'm fine. We're only about an hour or two away and I don't want to waste anymore time that we haven't already"

"Well you can at least make me walk on my own for awhile. I think I can handle myself for a couple of minutes"

"Blake just please let me do this just this one time. I know you just want to help me but I can't let you do something that will lead you to get hurt. So just please, let me do all the heavy lifting"

"But Sun-"

"Blake, please"

Sun was staring at Blake with pleading eyes. She didn't know why Sun was trying so hard to prevent her from getting hurt as if she was some delicate flower. But somehow she knew that she really didn't have the ability to cover enough distance to be helpful to the both of them. Blake wanted so badly to carry Sun this time as the exhaustion and pain that he had felt was all in her expense.

He was quick to recover though as Sun dusts of any remaining specs of dirt on his shirt and body and was once again ready to tackle the journey ahead. Sun makes his way towards Blake and once again bends over. Signalling Blake to once again get on his back so that they can resume.

Blake breathes in a huge sigh. She really didn't want to do this but she had no choice. Her body had once again nestled on Sun's back and the two of them head off in order to finish this overdue marathon.

It was surprising how much strength Sun had within him. It was like nothing happened to him as his speed didn't falter even with the beating that he had received and the obvious fatigue that was piling up on him. He might've just hidden the signs but if he did, it was a damn good job because it seemed like Sun even sped up from his earlier pace.

They were once again back on track and were covering a considerable amount of distance even with the odds stacked against them. Blake was feeling sleepy as the steady rhythm of Sun's stellar jog were starting to become relaxing to her body. Without even realizing it, Blake had managed to let out a small yawn and because of her proximity to Sun's face the boy had managed to pick up on it.

"Hey, if you feel like it you can sleep if you want to I don't really mind"

"I don't want to. I can't leave you awake without any company"

"Well we don't really have anything to talk about right now"

"You can ask me anything. About what happened and why it happened"

"Blake, this isn't the time. I don't want you dredging up things that you're not willing to talk about. I won't ask if it's not important"

"Sun, why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"Why are you being so kind to me? I put you through so much and you even manage to carry me around despite it feeling like hell to you. Why are doing all of this for me?"

"You know what's funny, even I ask that question myself. Sometimes I ask myself why I keep punishing myself by hopelessly following you around without any regard for my well being"

"But you know what, deep inside I know that somehow everything that I do for you pays off. I may not feel it all the time but I know that everything is worth it. And I know that it's the only thing that I want to do"

Blake was suddenly bought aback by Sun's response so much that she was suddenly dead silent. She didn't deserve a guy like Sun in her life and most certainly doesn't deserve the importance that he put on her. It was dawning on her that Sun wanted nothing more than to know that his intentions are pure and all for her. And that made her feel that Sun felt something much more deeper than just friendship for her.

"I don't deserve you. So please, stop"

"I don't really care about what you think right now Blake. Like I said we'll talk later. Right now just sit tight, maybe nap for a bit and let's see what will happen next"

Despite Sun's incessant pleading in for her to sleep on his back, Blake just wouldn't budge and she refused to rest no matter how much she wanted to. It was a matter of principle for her. She couldn't just laze around while Sun does all the heavy lifting for her. Blake believed that she deserved a punishment after everything that she had done and this was the only way that she could think of right now in order to pay back her debts.

Eventually after about an hour and a half of rigorous walking and traversing the harsh environment around them, Sun and Blake had finally managed to get a glimpse of civilization and that made them joyful knowing that they had reached the end of the jungle.

Wonder was in their eyes as they have finally reached the safe haven that they have desired for days now. Every single person and sounds of the bustling city life had managed to rejuvenate them in some way as they felt refreshed with every feeling that their senses pickup due to the happenings around them.

"We've finally made it at last"

"I know. We're finally done with that one huge nightmare aren't we"

"Well you can say that. Your parents should be worried sick right now so let's go there immediately"

"Sun we're out of the jungle now. I think you can set me down and it's for you good too"

"Blake, I have walked for miles and you haven't heard a single peep from me. Do you think I would stop now when we're almost there?"

"It's not the only thing that I'm worried about. People are starting to look at us right now"

She was right in her observation regarding the people around them. It was already weird enough that two people suddenly spring up from the dense forest. And what made them all the more noticeable was the fact that news spread along the whole town that Blake and Sun were missing and they actually held rescue parties for them. Murmuring around them can be picked up by Blake's ears no matter how minuscule sounding they were.

Heads around them turn towards the two as Sun continually carried Blake until they reach their final destination. The people around them were moving out of the way in order to not obstruct their way as they can clearly see that the two were very battered and it would be easier for them if they don't block the path that they were walking.

As they make their way out of the district. They enter into a large road that was the main hub for the city and over in the distance, Sun had spotted Blake's house and called it to her attention.

"Hey look. It's your house over in the distance. Are you excited to see your parents again?"

"I'm not sure that excited is the word that I would use. More like terrified if you ask me"

"Come on Blake. Your parents will still love you and I'm sure that you will make up. Just make sure to tell them everything that happened. Remember that it's not for you, but for their benefit. They deserve to know everything"

"How about you. You deserve to know everything too"

"You really are stubborn aren't you? Your parent come first okay, you're their only daughter and all the love that they have for you is worth all of your priorities. I'm just some guy that follows you around, talk to them first okay. Promise me that"

"Sun you're not just some guy that follows me around your-"

"Promise me, please"

"Fine I promise. But after I'm done we're going to have a long talk"

The road leading up to the belladonna household made Blake tense up as she ever so increasingly starts to get nervous. Her heart rate was starting to increase as the anticipation of seeing her parents again were slowly weighing down on her. Were they going to be furious with her or will they receive her with open arms. No matter what the outcome was, she was afraid of what they would think of her.

As they slowly approach her house, her eyes zoom in on the blurry image of her mother and the hulking build of her father. Her eyes start to water as she never believed that she would ever get a glimpse of them ever again. Just seeing them in the distance had managed to flood her mind with memories that they had all shared together and that made her cherish them even more.

Blake's eyes were starting to adjust even with the steady flow of tears that were coming down them. She was now finally able to see the clear faces of both her mother and father and it managed to send her into hysterics. She couldn't contain herself anymore and she screams at the top of her lungs in order to call out their attention.

"Mom, dad! It's us, we're back!"

Blake's loud shouts of joy had managed to catch the attention of both Khali and Ghira. They were sitting gloomily at the steps of their house, waiting for their daughter who they wished were there with them. But their wishes were answered as Khali and Ghira lift their heads up and see Blake and Sun waving their hands at them as they steadily approach towards them.

The two parents hurryingly stood up from the steps that they were sitting with excitement and anticipation in their eyes. All of their worries and sadness had all been swept away by the sight of their dear daughter who was all safe and sound at least from their point of view.

Seeing that both Khali and Ghira had managed see them. Sun increases his pace in order to cover the distance that prevented Blake and her parents from wrapping each other with their embraces and he moves faster in order to make it happen sooner.

After all the pain and challenges that they had endured, Sun and Blake had finally arrived to the safety of the belladonna household and they were finally rewarded with the reconciliation that they deserved. Blake was very eager to wrap her parents around in an embrace but her injuries had managed to make it hard for her to get off of Sun's back. But of course the boy was prepared to assist her so that she may once again plant her feet on the ground with the utmost care but still experiencing the inevitable pain that came with her wounded leg.

"Oh Blake! We were so worried about you. Why did you leave? What happened, are you safe?"

Before Khali could continue with her words, Blake silences her questions by wrapping her in a warm embrace that was long overdue.

The caring mother also returned the favor and wrapped Blake with her own arms. The two were basically inseparable in their position right now and nothing can pry them off from the embrace that the two were sharing.

"Blake Are you all right? Is my dear daughter hurt or injured? Did Sun do anything to hurt you in any way!"

And along with her mother, Blake releases one of her arms in order to include her father in the warm embrace that she shared along with her mother and now with him. It managed to silence the three of them as they enjoy this reunion after a day of worrying about her and her condition.

The sight before Sun had managed to make his heart melt. This family treated him with such kindness even if they had only met them recently. It gave him joy knowing that he had managed to repay them on his own by keeping their daughter safe from harm as much as he could. And it also made him happy knowing that he had managed to keep his promise.

But knowing this, his face manages to sink a little bit. His mission was done, protecting Blake was the only thing that kept him running and determined every single day. Now that Adam was defeated and her family was complete again, Sun had no place with Blake and it signaled that their time together would come to a close.

"I missed you guys so much! I promise to make it up to you the best that I can because I love the both of you"

"It's okay Blake. You don't have to worry about that right now. Just tell us what happened that led up to this and we'll talk about it slowly, okay?"

"Yeah I'd be happy to do that"

"Well before you do we should go inside first. This heat won't do you any good and I'm sure that you need some rest"

"I do. But can you please help me. My leg is kind of busted and I can't walk properly"

"Say no more dear! Old pops will carry you as much as I can"

In a fell swoop, Ghira had managed to pick up Blake with his humongous hands and carry her through the large metal doors of the house. Sounds of amusement can be audibly heard from Blake as she laughs at the idea of her father carrying her around like an infant. As they enter inside the house, Khali follows them and she swiftly gains chase after them.

Amidst the joyful commotion happening between the three of them. They had managed to forget the fourth person that was there with them. The three of them had managed to forget about Sun and left him all alone on the steps leading to the door.

But even if Sun was supposed to be offended or sad about the ordeal, he just chalks it up to them being too happy with their reunion and he himself did not want to get in the way of their celebration. So he just decided to rest on the cool shade of the roof hanging above his head that covered the stairs that he was sitting on.

Sun was overjoyed by the extreme change of temperature that the shade had provided him. It was also complimented by the fact that a strong breeze was also blowing against his body and it hit all of the right places that alleviated the early heat that had plagued him earlier.

His body was so fatigued that he could care less if he fell asleep in the stairs. He just wanted to relax and this was doing it. He was alone only with his thoughts without even being acknowledged besides the false accusation that Ghira suddenly threw at him out of the blue.

"They wouldn't mind if I sleep here do they?"

No one was around him to bother him in his planned sleep and Sun decided to rest his eyes for a while. After all, he just carried a grown person in his back for hours and if that was not an excuse to sleep for a while then he didn't what was.

Sun closes his eyes in order to enter the world of dreams that would hopefully provide him with the rest that he had deserved.

The boy hadn't even closed his eyes for a minute before he hears faint footsteps coming from behind him and his body being suddenly shaken by a pair of hands. He quickly opens his eyes and behind him was Khali with a huge smile on her face shaking him gently in order to prevent him from entering sleep.

"Khali why are you here? You're supposed to be talking to Blake right now. Worry about me later"

Before Sun could speak any further. Khali surprises him with a huge hug that had managed to send him leaning backwards much to his surprise. She was giving it her all with this hug and that surprised Sun a lot.

"Sun how can I ever repay you. You saved my daughter without any regard for your own life. Nothing could ever amount up to what you just did for our family"

"Hey it's nothing I just did what needed to be done. Now go over there and enjoy your daughter I've had enough time to share with her and now it's your turn"

"You deserve her as much as we do. It makes me happy knowing like a person like you loves our daughter and you have every right to love her and be loved back. I just hopes that she sees that now"

"You just won't give up won't you?"

"Come on, after you saved my daughter and bringing her back to us. There's no way that I'm letting her not end up with you"

The two of them let out a small laugh as they enjoy their time together. Both Khali and Sun enjoyed each other's company and it made Sun happy knowing that he can share more moments like this with Blake's mother.

"Shall we go inside? I can't let you just sleep here. Take the room that you used to have and maybe make your way downstairs again after you clean your wounds"

"I shouldn't. You guys need to talk and I don't want to intrude on that. After you're done maybe we'll talk. We aren't really in a good spot right now"

"Why, what happened?"

"It's a long story and you don't have to worry about that right now"

"Fine but I'll be sure to make her to talk to you after we're done. And by the way, why do you have a sword with you?"

Sun had realized that Khali was looking curiously at the sword that he had claimed from Adam which was strapped to his waist. But he quickly averts her gaze and makes her think about the more important subject at hand.

"That's a part of the story and you'll hear it all from Blake. So let's just go inside okay?"

Khali nods her head and the two of them make their way inside of the massive house in order to ask questions and to get answers from what had happened between the two. And as Sun and Khali enter the house, they close the open door and it managed to release a loud thud that echoed because of its size.

* * *

 **Hello once again and thank you for reading the first chapter for this month!**

 **This was a decently sized chapter and it took less work than expected so I managed to squeeze in some more work and I have started on making the next chapter and I hope that I can release it earlier than I usually do.**

 **I've also made the outline for a lot of upcoming chapters so you can expect a steady flow of things to read within the following weeks/month so buckle up!**

 **As always, reviews are appreciated and thank you if you manage to take some of your time to leave your thoughts and suggestions.**

 **Thank you for reading and as always, until the next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

The homely ambiance of the belladonna's house were slowly coming back to Sun and it was slowly lifting his spirits further and further. He only had few and sparing memories made in the place but those memories were most definitely etched in his mind forever. They were some of the most memorable and fun times that he ever had and it would be a sin if he would ever forget about them.

Kali was eager to learn about the recent happenings that Sun and Blake had experienced. She knew that they faced a dangerous threat to their lives evident to the bruises that Sun had visible in his body and the utterly disfigured hand that he had bandaged up. What also made the circumstances more interesting was that Sun was carrying an unfamiliar item that she had noticed earlier.

Sun had a sword attached to him below his waist and Kali had an inkling feeling that it had something to do with what they had faced that also alluded to what he had said earlier. But the sight of it was somehow familiar to Kali but she couldn't place a finger on where she caught a glimpse of it.

"What happened to your hand Sun. It looks like crap, does it hurt a lot?"

"It does but I can't really do anything about it right now. I'll just let my aura do all the work and maybe rest for a while"

"My question is where did it come from. And better yet who did you get that sword from"

"I don't want to spoil all the fun. It's Blake's job to tell you that so I don't want to get a head of myself. But if I have to say anything, I got the sword from the guy that trashed my hand"

"Some opponent that you fought. Mind telling me who it was?"

"Let's just say that from what I've seen, it's your daughter's ex and he was back with a vengeance"

"Well I'll hear from her as soon as I make my way to Ghira's office. What about you, you're welcome to come if you want to"

"No thanks. Family bonding time is important and you all deserve it. Enjoy it as much as you can"

"Well if you ask me, you're family to us after what you have done for this family and for Blake"

"There's a right time for the two of us to talk. Now it's yours so I'm just going to go upstairs and rest for a bit. I did carry her for hours on end"

"Fine rest for now. You deserve it. And Sun, thank you for everything"

"Don't mention it. Now go over there and ask as many questions as you want. She'll tell you everything"

The two wave their hands in order to signal for them to separate for the time being. Kali needed to have a long conversation with her daughter in order to bring light to the questions that she and Ghira had. While Sun on the other hand wanted to make way for the family to strengthen their bonds and to rest his tired body that was about to collapse after hours of continued stress and over exertion.

And as they walk their individual paths, Sun takes one last glimpse at Khali before he makes his way to the stairs that were before him that would eventually take him upstairs into the room that was provided ever so kindly by their family.

Ghira was still carrying Blake merrily into his office space as he deemed it the most comfortable place for their family to converse and it would surely relax Blake after the hell that she might have gone through.

As the two of them enter Ghira's office, Blake knew her father's intentions in making her feel at home once again. This was Blake's favorite room in the whole house as she spent most of her time here and nowhere else. It managed to relax her body and mind knowing that she was back to the safety that her home had provided.

Her father continued to carry her until they reach the couch at the center of them room. Ghira laid Blake in the couch in order for her to rest on it for awhile as they wait for Kali to catch up to them. Her father wanted nothing more than to make her as comfortable as possible so he had also prepared a cup of tea that Ghira knew Blake would love.

"Sweety drink some tea. I'm sure it will help you relax after the long day that you've had"

"Thanks dad. I appreciate it"

Blake gladly receives the cup of tea that her father had prepared for her. She drinks it greedily as she hadn't had a drink in a while and her throat was starting to dry up. The hot liquid that was going down her throat had managed to ease her nerves and it left a pleasant taste in her tongue that made her glad that she could have more of it.

"And now for more important matters. Can you tell me everything that has happened to you?"

"Dad just wait for a while. I want mom to be here too so that the two of you can hear the whole story. And I promise you that I will tell you everything without a single lie"

"Fine. But as soon as your mother comes we're going straight to the facts"

"Thanks. I'm sure that she won't take long"

And as if on signal, Kali hastily opens the door and makes her way inside. She closes the door behind her and slowly makes her way over to the couch that Blake was laying on in order to be closer to her as she had missed her so much in the days that she was missing.

Ghira follows Kali's lead and the two parents sit side by side between Blake in order for them to get the full effect of the story that Blake was about to tell and to console her while she recollected the happenings that she underwent.

"So, are you ready to enlighten us about everything that happened to you?"

"Yes mom. I'm done with keeping any more secrets so I need to remove everything on my plate and come clean. But please, don't be mad at me for what I did"

"Of course honey we won't. You're a grown woman and if you did something this big, we know that it was necessary. You won't be this reckless if it didn't mean anything"

"Thanks for understanding guys. I promise that I won't do anything stupid like that ever again. So now, are you ready for the story?"

"Yes, we're ready" both Ghira and Kali utter simultaneously.

For about an hour, Blake tells her parents about everything that has happened to her starting from the very beginning. From the letter that she had received from Adam, the day that she left for the wastelands, and the untimely death that she was fated to be sentenced to if she were not saved from the hands of Adam by Sun.

The details were very straightforward and down to the letter. It left little to the imagination and it filled every single gap that the two had in their mind. Blake would only be interrupted in occasions when either Khali or Ghira would ask questions that still lingered within them. But they were easily answered by Blake as every single fact and detail about her experiences were still fresh in her mind and it was easy for her to recall everything.

After a very long period of nothing but Blake retelling her tale and questions being passed around. They were all finally done listening to the whole series of events that had happened over the past days and Blake's parent were up to speed to everything.

"So you risked your own life just to not involve us with Adam?" Kali asks.

"Basically yeah. I knew what he was capable of. After all, he was the one that lead the White Fang's attack on beacon and the death that he bought was terrifying"

"But still why didn't you tell us. We could have at least done something about it and we might have helped you fight him"

"Well as you can see I almost died just from battling him"

"Please can you promise us to never hide anything of this degree ever again? We don't want to see you end up as a corpse so please, tell us when you need help and we would gladly do anything in our power to help you"

"I know that now mom. The only important thing that came out of this mess was to put more trust in you guys and to not be so reckless"

"Well I'm happy that you're fine now. I just wish that you got out that pinch unscathed. You suffered two big wounds and it will take some time to heal"

"It's fine mom. I'll be okay as long as I'm with you now"

Both Blake and Kali look at each other with happiness and contentment. They hold hands as they felt that it was the right thing to do as they have finally been reunited after everything that Blake had gone through. But Ghira suddenly came out of the blue and blurted out thoughts of his own.

"I still can't believe that Sun was the one that bested that beast that almost took your life. Are you sure that you weren't just hallucinating?"

"Dad I'm pretty sure that I would recognize the person that saved me from near death"

"What, I'm just saying that it's hard to believe okay?"

"Come on honey, he was the only one that managed to catch up to Blake and as a matter of fact actually save her. He even kept us in the dark because he knew that this was important to you"

"And that reminds me. Sun was looking down for some reason. He isn't like the Sun that we usually have in this house. Did something happen between you two?"

"It's complicated mom. We aren't exactly in the best place right now. I've done so many bad things to him and I don't know how to make it up to him. He's done so much for me and I'm starting to feel that he won't forgive me on this one"

"There is one thing that you can do. You never know if he'll forgive you or not unless you talk to him"

"Are you sure that he wants to talk right now? He might be in a bad mood and I don't want to make the situation anymore worse than it already is"

"Look Blake, Sun might be your friend but I think I know a little bit more about him than you do. I'm sure that he'll make time for you even if he's resting right now or doing something else"

"Well nothing will happen if I just sit around and wait for him to come to me. I don't have the right to ask for that so I might as well just face him"

Blake stands up from the couch that she and her parents were sitting on. She straightens her clothes as the hour that she spent just sitting had managed to make crumples on her clothes.

"Mom dad. I need to speak to Sun so I'm going to have to leave you for now"

"Good luck honey. I hope that everything turns out alright"

"And if he doesn't forgive you, I'll make sure to beat it out of him" Ghira mused

"Come on now dad. You can't just do that to Sun. After all, I do owe him after everything"

"Fine, just go over there and be done with it. Don't want to see you looking so sad just because of some small quarrel"

"Yeah. I'm on it"

After politely excusing herself from the presence of her parents, Blake nervously but swiftly makes her way towards the extra room that Sun was staying at for the time being. She had finally straightened things out with her parents and this was the only thing that was stopping her from hiding any more secrets. Blake wanted to come clean to everyone and Sun was no exception.

Blake was trying to calm herself by steadying every breath that she took in sync with her footsteps. She had never been this nervous with regards to talking with Sun and this was the first time that they had sour feelings between each other.

With that in mind, Blake also remembered the night before she made the decision to leave and face Adam alone. It was the night when Sun and Blake screamed at the top of their lungs as they fought. It was a very dark moment shared by the two of them as they spoke to each other. Broken and battered by the words that they slung at each other.

She had no idea what Sun was feeling at this moment. Was he just resting after the huge task of carrying her for about an hour. Or was he pondering things about him and her. But to Blake only one thing was clear. She had to say sorry to him and apologize about everything. From the night that she battered him with insults up to the lies that she told just for her to die if it weren't for him. 

"It's my turn to give back to you Sun. I just hope that you let me" 

The sound of footsteps coming in contact with the wood floor was the only thing that can be heard in the corridor that Blake was treading on. Even her breath sounded mute under the pressure that she was feeling right now. There was only one goal that was in her mind and that was to set things straight with Sun.

And it almost felt as hard as facing off with Adam himself. Speaking volumes of how hard it was for Blake to confront the person that her life once depended on.

* * *

The light in the room was sufficient enough for everything to be clear within his vision. But Sun wished that it would be slightly dimmer. The brightness of it wasn't exactly helping in relaxing his head as it strained his eyes and put more effort as he looked around the room.

As of that time, the light of the sun was already starting to dwindle as it was already starting to approach night time. Sun had placed his other spare belongings on the foot of the bed as he paces around. Trying to think of something to do with the spare time that he was currently given.

With nothing else in mind, the sleek design of Adam's sword had managed to catch his attention while it lay motionless at the base of the bed. He hadn't examined it thoroughly as he didn't have the time to do so. But now that he was on the confines of this room, Sun decided to quell his curiosity and decides to pick it up.

Sun holds hit with both of his hands as he tries to examine the build of the weapon. He had learned from experience that the sheathe of the sword transforms into a gun as Adam had used it numerous times throughout their encounter.

With both of his hands, he unsheathes the sword part of the duo and handles it with his right hand. His left hand held the sheathe and gun combo but only sparingly as he was reminded that it was still badly dinged by this weapon itself.

He admires the crimson blade that the sword possessed and the way that it reflected against the light above him. It managed to produce a reflection of himself that was clearly visible and it showed how polished the blade was. Sun tried some light swings with the sword in order to get a feel for it. Not only was it deadly but it was also very lightweight. It was the reason why Adam was so quick and decisive with his movements because of how easy it was to handle with his hands and skill.

There was a large mirror sitting right across Sun and it managed to capture his full image while handling the sword. It was pleasant to his eyes and to him, he looked cool while handling it and it peaked his interest very much.

He sets the sword aside as it was time to give attention to the second part of the weapon which functioned as the sheathe and a gun for ranged encounters. Sun placed the handle of the sheathe into his right hand in order to examine it in the same fashion as he did with the sword. With his hand on the trigger and eyes on the sight, Sun aims it around to see how it worked in actuality. But he was very adamant to not accidentally fire it as it still had live bullets.

Sun could definitely say that the weapon laid right in front of him can be something that he can work on the future. After all, he did win it fair and square and it would be a shame to just leave it lying around.

"Maybe someday. But not right now"

After he was done examining and feeling around the prize that he had attained, Sun once again sheathes it and puts it back in its original place while lying on the bed. But before Sun could resume lazing around and to think of some other thing to do, he remembers that he had another item of interest that he had taken from Adam when he was unconscious.

Adam had a scroll on his pocket that Sun had conveniently picked up when he was finally beaten by his hands. From earlier inspection, it contained important plans and files regarding the splinter group that the White Fang had within mistral. He didn't share it with Blake just yet as she may once again make decisions to hastily rather than considering their options. They had no way to contact people in mistral directly as the CCT towers were down back in vale.

The only option that Sun had was to grab a hold of Neptune in order to get some information regarding the state of mistral. He needed to know if there were any huntsmen or at least a person that he can pass this valuable information to. And the only way that Sun could do this was to send Neptune a message via the old fashion way. By sending him a written letter.

He could only hope that Neptune could receive the letter in time in order for him to pass the sensitive information he had as soon as possible.

It was clear that Sun already had a plan of attack in order to deal with the rest of the White Fang that still posed a threat. But he still had problems on his own to deal with in menagerie and there was no way that he could leave for mistral if he had lose ends here.

There was still his problem with Blake. They are really in a rough patch right now and he himself didn't know how to deal with it. He was trying to act all smug earlier as he really didn't have no idea how to solve the problem by himself. There was no way that he was the one that was going to apologize to her. Sun wanted to let her learn from her own mistakes and if he would be the one to step up and apologize even though he didn't do anything wrong, then he would continue to spoil her and he didn't want that.

But deep inside he was trying to find some way in order for him to be the one to say sorry. But he just didn't have anything. Everything that made him push forward throughout all of this was for Blake. It made him realize, did he ever really do anything for himself.

All of this thinking and planning was starting to take a toll on Sun even with the already present fatigue that he had. He decided to reward himself with a nap as it was well earned after the whole day that he spent carrying Blake in his back which also lead to bruises and an obvious cut covering his cheek.

He cleared all of the clutter that was on top of the bed and placed them beneath it in order to give him some room in order to lay on it. After doing so he plops on the bed back first with a loud thud resulting from his impact with the soft mattress. It felt so relaxing as this place served as his comfort zone after the earlier days that he had spent here. Sun decided to let his eyes rest even for just a little in order to get back the energy that he had spent earlier. And as an added bonus, his aura will work double time if he was able to get in some sleep.

All of the conditions that were required in order for him to be relaxed and on the way to unconsciousness were all present in his environment. Everything around him was quiet and he was finally free from the hot inferno that was the wasteland. He was set to finally drift off but as soon as he felt that he was finally going to get some rest, he hears three timid knocks that were coming from the door leading to his room.

A voice also followed after the three knocks that he heard and by the looks of it, he wasn't going to get sleep anytime soon.

"Sun, it's me. Look I want to talk but if you don't want to we can do this in the morning"

"No no no, come in."

Sun agrees to let Blake in and the girl makes his way inside his room although a little bit clumsily as he remembered that she was still suffering from the injury in her leg. Making her stumble around even though she didn't want to.

The two are finally face to face after the long day that they had and countless attempts at evading each other. They both knew that they had to talk even though it would be uncomfortable to them. But there was no use running away from it now. They faced a threat to their lives, how can this talk compare to that.

"Mind if I sit?"

He just nods his head in agreement and makes some room for her to sit on the bed. Blake slowly makes her way towards him in an attempt for them to properly speak together. Once she makes her way towards the bed, she sits on it slowly and her weight adjusts onto the mattress as Sun feels it sinking from the two of them sitting on it.

"So as promised. I'm already done talking to both my parents and I've already told them everything and answered everything that they asked me"

"Now it's your turn. So ask away"

Sun still had his face looking at the ground as it was hard for him to see Blake eye to eye. His feelings were still conflicting but he knew that he needed to do this in order for things to return to the way they were. Without breaking his gaze from the ground. He asked the question that he deemed most important for her to answer.

"Well first things first. Have you learned anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"After everything that happened. From fighting Adam to worrying your parents, hell even being in the brink of death. Have you at least learned your lesson?"

"It pains me to admit it. But it was stupid for me to learn this way. I am naive for ignoring all the help that you were all ready to give me. Maybe because I underestimated you guys, or maybe I was just being selfish trying to convince myself that it was all for the people around me"

"But now I know that. And I won't be dumb enough to make a decision like that ever again"

"Blake I appreciate that you've finally learned something after all this time but that's not enough assurance for me. It's not enough after everything that you've done"

"Sun please I'm begging you"

In a sudden flash, Blake grabs Sun's hand in a state of panic. He was surprised by Blake suddenly grabbing a hold of him and shoots his gaze towards hers. All that Sun could see was Blake's pleading eyes as she desperately tries to reach for him.

He couldn't resist those eyes of hers. There was something about them that seemed so innocent and truthful that it managed to captivate Sun every second that he looks at her. As it stood, it looked like Blake really learned something from this experience and it seemed like she would make do with her promise. It also didn't help his case that Blake was clutching his hand with her own.

It felt good knowing that Blake still cared for him even after the many quarrels that they had in the last few days. All that he could feel from them holding hands was nothing but her feelings of concern towards him. And that was the only thing that Sun cared about.

"Do you promise that you'll never do anything that stupid ever again?"

"I really do Sun. I promise that I'll trust the people who care about me and to not take them from granted"

"Well I'm glad that you finally understand that. Even though it took you a beating or two in the head to realize it"

Blake lets out a small snicker because of the obvious humor that Sun was trying to imply with his last retort. But she knew that Sun still had something tugging at him and it wasn't enough for her to just answer only one thing that he had on his mind. She answered everything that her parents threw at her so it was only fair for her to do the same with Sun.

"Hey, anything else you want to talk about?"

Sun's mind quickly races as Blake asks him whether or not they should continue their conversation or not. There wasn't really anything that he wanted to talk about with Blake that had any relation to the morals that she had recently learned. But he still had one question in his mind that was eating at him no matter how much he tried to ignore it.

It might seem petty but Sun was still feeling jealousy towards the kiss that Adam had received from Blake before they proceeded with their fight. From what he could gather, they must have had a relationship together in the past and that was the reason why Blake warranted the kiss that she gave to Adam.

Even if it was only in the cheek, Sun just couldn't ignore the fact that Blake was able to give him such a sign of affection so easily. He wouldn't admit it upfront, but that was the kind of feeling that Sun wanted to receive from Blake. But that was something that only a miracle could grant him and he couldn't see it from ever happening.

So the only thing that could bring his mind at ease was to ask Blake directly if his suspicions were correct. Not that it would do anything to get rid of the feelings that he was dealing with.

"I have one more question to ask but you don't need to answer it if you want"

"What is it?"

Sun braces himself as his heart races and the hairs on his arms stand up. This was probably going to be an awkward question for him to ask and a sensitive topic for Blake to answer. He looks away from Blake and removes his hand from hers as he just couldn't bring himself to see the look on her face as he tries to explain himself and her probable reaction from it.

"You probably don't know, but I was there watching you throughout the whole thing"

"What do you mean, you were there before I even passed out?"

"Pretty much, I arrived as you and Adam were talking and I hid on the tree line as you both spoke to each other"

"Huh, then why didn't you stop me from fighting him?"

"I knew how much it meant for you to face him alone. So I just let you be and decided to step in if I was needed. But that's not the reason why I'm telling you this now"

"What is it then"

"Remember, you don't need to answer. It's just something that I want to get out of my chest"

"Fire away. There's no use holding it back now"

An audible heave of breath can be heard from Sun as he tries to muster up all of the courage that he had within him. After a few seconds of reprieve, Sun holds nothing back and proceeds with his one last query for Blake.

"I saw you, kissing Adam in the cheek before you fought. Why did you do that and better yet, were you together before?"

Blake was visibly shook from the question that Sun just asked her. She couldn't have anticipated that this was the thing that Sun was keeping to himself the whole time as this was the first time that she knew that he was able to see everything. She was starting to feel sorry for Sun as she knew that he must've felt cheated in some way because of what she did.

As much as she wanted to console him, Sun just aimed his gaze away from her and it felt that the only thing that she could do was to give him the answers that he was looking for. Maybe in some way, it could give him some closure. Even though Blake knew that it was far from what Sun would feel after this.

"I did promise to tell the truth. But are you sure you really want to know?"

Sun just nods his head in agreement. While Blake lets out a sigh of her own as she was about to tell Sun the painful truth that she wanted to hide from him.

"During my time in the White Fang. I was in a romantic relationship with Adam at the time. I fell so madly in love with him as he was so gentle and different from what he was now"

"But you already know the rest of the story as I left because of how he changed. And how I never looked back"

"Before our fight started. We had an unspoken agreement that only one of us was walking out of that thing alive. And I felt that it was something that I needed to do just to remind him of the times that we shared. But can you trust me that I really didn't mean anything by kissing him like that"

A short period of silence was shared between the two after Blake shared her side of the story. Everything was finally on the table and Sun had gotten the answer that he had wanted. He felt so stupid in asking that question as soon as he heard the answer to it as it just managed to add to the pain that he was feeling.

It felt like salt was being rubbed at the already painful wound that was in his heart. But he got what he wanted after all and he couldn't complain. All that he really wanted right now was to be alone with himself.

"Its fine Blake you've told me enough. You can leave now if you want, you don't need to stay here with me"

Sun spoke with hints of pain and sadness in his voice that it broke Blake's heart knowing that she was still causing pain to him. On paper they might've already settled their differences but to Blake, nothing has changed. He was still hurt and she was still being unfair.

Even though Sun was still not looking at her directly, all that Blake wanted to do was to console him and to convince him that the kiss that she gave Adam was nothing more than a little gesture and nothing else.

Without anything else that she could think of to get her out of this situation. Blake gives in to her instincts and lets her body move on its own as she knew that anything rational that she could think of was not enough to fix the cracks between her relationship with Sun.

With all of the care that she could muster up and the courage to do so. Blake holds out her right hand in order to gently caress the left side of Sun's face. Blake felt that she needed to do this in order to let Sun know that she still cared for him deeply. But she wasn't done with her physical acts and with the hand that she caressed Sun with, she turns his head towards her in order for them to look eye to eye once again.

She could know feel the heat that was rising from her body and it reminded her of what she felt earlier in the day. The same heat that she was feeling right now was reminiscent of when Sun kissed her on the forehead in order to console her from her earlier breakdown. Blake couldn't explain why she was feeling this when in close contact with Sun, but that didn't really matter right now.

Deciding to continue with her acts even further, Blake places her other hand on Sun's other cheek. She could feel the cut that Sun had received earlier and it sent waves of memories flowing back to her and it fueled her remorse even more. Looking at Sun right now. How he looked so battered and tired of everything that has happened to him. All that Blake wanted was to remove everything that was causing him pain.

Blake wanted Sun to feel that he was appreciated. To let him know that everything that he has done wasn't for nothing. To let him feel that he was actually loved by someone that he cared for. And the only person that could give that to Sun right now was Blake.

"Sun please, I don't want you feeling this way. I care about you and I can't put into words how thankful I am that you're in my life"

"Please just come back to me Sun. I don't want you to be hurt anymore"

Without any signs of hesitation, Blake was ready to give Sun the affection that she never thought that they would share together. Some strong force was compelling her to do so and all of her other feelings and thoughts were tossed aside just because of this one moment that they were about to share.

Blake was starting to slowly inch her face towards Sun. She had committed to what she felt she needed to, no wanted to do in order to repay Sun. And in her own way, to release some feeling that she never thought she had.

She could now feel the heat that was emanating from Sun's face and his breath blowing against her own. Blake felt somehow ecstatic under the circumstances that she was in. She had pushed the boundaries of the relationship that she and Sun had shared and there was no pulling out of it now.

Her eyes were starting to close as the inevitable was about to happen. Blake's stomachs was now being filled with butterflies as the anticipation for the kiss that she was willing to share with Sun. This was it, the moment that would change the course of their friendship was about to happen and the beating of Blake's heart could attest to it.

But before anything dramatic could happen between the two, Kali does a quick knock on the door and unfortunately enters the room unexpectedly and cuts the moment that Sun and Blake were in. Judging by the position that the two were sharing and the fact that Blake and Sun's faces were so close to each other. Kali realized that she had botched the closest chance that Sun ever had.

"Um... Dinner is ready. Head downstairs when you're ready"

Realizing that Kali had just entered the room, they both release each other from each other's grasp as Kali interrupts them. In order to relieve herself from any further questioning from her mother and an awkward moment with Sun. Blake excuses herself and tries to quickly get out of the room with all of the speed that she could muster up.

"Oh we're just done talking. I'll just head downstairs"

A look of shock was clearly visible on Sun's face as it slowly dawns on him on what had just happened. The two of them were almost at the brink of sharing an actual kiss. And if it weren't for Kali suddenly bursting out of nowhere, he might have actually felt Blake's lips against his own.

"I can't believe what had just happened. We almost, kissed..."

"Oh my god, Sun I am so sorry I should've known better. Ugh I feel such an idiot for entering even though I knew that you two were talking"

"Well I can't really fault you for that one. And besides, you might've just saved her from doing something that she might regret"

"Why would she regret kissing you. Shouldn't you be happy that she has actual feelings for you?"

"She forgot that's why. Remember that she still has feelings for someone else."

Deciding that there was no use moping around the failed opportunity that he had. Sun decides to just partake of the dinner that Kali had told them of and makes his way outside of the room. But before he could do so Kali shoots back one last reply at him.

"Why don't you just ignore all of the hesitation within you and just fight for your feelings for once. Fight for your love and for hers if you really want something to happen between the two of you"

Sun pauses as he stands below the door frame in his room. He ponders for a bit about what he should respond with. And after much careful deliberation, he comes up with the answer that Kali wanted to hear and the one that could lead him to the right path.

"You know what. Maybe you're right"

With that simple answer. It managed to send a smile forming in Kali's face as she understood the gravity and worth of what Sun had just said. And with that the two of them walk side by side and make their way towards the dining room in order to meet up with the rest in order to share a dinner that Kali and Ghira had prepared.

* * *

 **Welcome once again and I hope that you enjoy the latest update!**

 **This chapter was actually supposed to be a whopping 12k words. But I decided to just split it into two just to give more substance to the second half. It was also convenient to cut it this way because this chapter transitions into the next one easily just like the chapter before this one.**

 **The next chapter that would follow this one is in my opinion, a big turning point and I wish to work on it even further so that was also a valid reason for me to cut it in half. But don't worry, it's pretty much just polishing and you can hope to see it as soon as possible.**

 **I would also like to point out a huge blunder on my part that was kindly bought up to me by a user named RXWriter (Thanks by the way) that concerned the spelling of Kali's name. As you can see, I corrected the mistake for this chapter and I'm sorry that I never got to see it earlier. I plan editing the other chapters just to fix that one mistake but it's not really on my priorities right now (Will try to do it as soon as possible though)**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story and I would appreciate it if you could leave a review it helps out a lot. See you next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

The dinner that Kali had prepared can be called nothing short of a feast. All kinds of exotic food were prepared in the dinner table and all of their aromas had managed to meld together and formed a large mist that had managed to spread around the dining room.

All four of them had managed to gather around the square table that had enough room to accompany them all. They had all managed to find their own spot in the table although Kali was able to arrange them to her liking as she still remembered the huge blunder that she had made earlier.

She had managed to sit beside Ghira before anyone could so that Blake and Sun would inevitably sit on the same side of the table. Although the effect that she had in mind was far from what was currently happening in actuality.

Kali had underestimated the awkwardness that were surrounding the two. Instead of happily chatting with each other as she had hoped for and move on from the earlier encounter that they had, they were quietly tending to their own needs as they both silently survey the food on the table.

"Wow Kali. You really outdid yourself. When I told you to keep the food warm I didn't know that it would be like this"

"Well that's how I do. Beside I enjoy cooking and hearing compliments about it. So keep them coming"

"Will do!"

The two share a laugh as they share their own conversation while Ghira and Blake just stare at them with their own trains of thought. Ghira was starting to get hungry and wanted nothing more than to just dig in and enjoy all of the savory food that was just within his grasp. While Blake was contemplating how to ask her parents for permission for something that she really wanted to do.

"Honey can we finally eat please. My mouth's starting to water from all the amazing food that you made"

"You see? If you keep those compliments up you might get an extra treat later on"

Kali then throws out one of her signature winks towards her husband who suddenly froze with what she had just said. And even worse, both Sun and Blake had managed to witness the whole thing and it made them cringe at the sight of it.

"Mom. You really should watch what you do when you're in front of me"

"You're mom really is something isn't she Blake"

"You can say that"

Even with the earlier awkwardness that the both of them were stuck in earlier, the two had finally managed to share a laugh or two amidst their complicated situation. They haven't bonded like this for quite a while and it was refreshing for the two of them to finally have moments like these again.

"So time for the main event. Dig in everyone!"

"Yes ma'am!" All of them reply.

The atmosphere of the dinner table had managed to die down after the eventful start that it had rooting from Kali's antics. All of them had managed to quiet down as they stuff their faces with the delectable food that they had including fish which was Blake's favorite, and many more assortments of meat and vegetables that were all cooked in different ways.

Blake had managed to fill her appetite after taking many bites from the fish that she loved so much. It was a nice gesture for her mom to make it for her and it had managed to make her feel more at home than she ever was.

But there was one last thing that she needed to take care of and it was her first opportunity to actually make do with her promise and ask permission for something that she wanted to do even though it could be met with hesitation from her parents.

"Mom, dad. I have to ask you about something"

"Well what is it Blake?" Kali asks.

"Here it goes. I want to travel and make my way to mistral"

A sudden look of shock had managed to creep its way in both Kali and Ghira's faces. Blake had suddenly proposed a trip that would span many miles and would once again separate them from each other. It also didn't help that her trip would bring about many dangers as Grimm activity had escalated and many enemies had made themselves known since the fall of beacon.

But the two of them understood that Blake really wanted this. But what they didn't know was why she wanted to go. They both look at each other and nod their heads. Without saying any words, the two of them had managed to make an agreement regarding Blake's request.

Kali starts of the conversation as she usually does.

"Well first of all, why do you want to go there anyway"

"There are a lot of reasons like loose ends coming from the White Fang. But the main reason why I want to go there is because I want to see my friends again"

"Well at least you told us this time instead of keeping it a secret. That shows that you've grown and your father and I appreciate your honesty"

"And because of that. We're both convinced that you're capable enough to handle your own and we'd love to see you facing the world again"

Her mother's response was more than Blake could ever hope for. She thought that she would definitely face resistance after her life being almost taken just a day ago. But her mother's assuring words had managed to make her feel joy and it cemented the fact that telling the truth really had its upsides.

"Thanks mom, thanks dad. I love you guys both!"

"Well me and your mother love you very much and we wouldn't want to see you cooped up in here if you didn't want to"

"And besides, Sun would be with you all along the way. Won't you Sun?" Kali quickly interjects.

She had thought that she had managed to give Sun more time to spend with Blake as she knew that their time spent together wasn't enough for him to seal the deal. But his response surprised her a little bit as it was an answer that she really didn't expect.

"Well if she wants me to come I will. I don't want her to be constantly bothered by me so I'll leave the decision to her"

Blake looks at Sun with a puzzling look on her face. The Sun that she knew would gladly hop on the bandwagon and be eager to be taking on another adventure. But by the looks of it, he was still feeling down and still felt somehow responsible for some of the pain that she was feeling.

"Come on Sun. I'm not bothered by you so don't say that. I would be happy to have you along with me and at least this time, you can actually have a room on the boat"

She manages to let out a small smile and take Sun's hand with her own and clutch it tightly in her grasp. It was comforting for her to know that she could do this to Sun in order to show him that she did care for him.

Sun had managed to feel Blake's warm hand wrap against his own and it caused him to look right back at her. He had managed to see the bright smile that Blake had in her face but he knew that it was hiding a look of concern and guilt.

He didn't want her to feel anymore worse than she currently is so he just lets out a small smile and nods his head in agreement in order to let her know that he agrees to come with her.

Even though the two were showing bright smiles with their faces, deep inside their feelings were still conflicting with one another. Blake wanted to relight the flame that the two of them had shared for the longest time if she wanted to have any hope of fixing the wounds that the two of them had accumulated.

"So it's all settled then. The two of you will be going to mistral in order to see the world and kick some butt while doing so!"

The two of them break their gaze and face Kali and nod their heads in agreement as a new journey had already been set in stone for them to tackle.

And with that said and done, it concluded the dinner that they were sharing. Each one of them had done their part in order to clean up the mess that they had made besides Kali who had the privilege to just watch as she was the one that made all of the food herself.

When all the dishes were done and the table was finally cleared. All of them had managed to agree that it was finally time to hit the sack and to settle in for the night. Both Ghira and Kali excused themselves in order to head upstairs to their own room.

Only Sun and Blake were left in the dining room. It was already getting a bit late so it was universally agreed upon that the two of them would also follow suit and go to their respective rooms. But Blake had something else in mind and wanted to see if Sun still wanted to talk.

"Hey, I'm not that sleepy yet. Do you want to maybe talk or something?"

"It's already getting late. Get some rest, you deserve it"

"But Sun I think we still have some things that we can, you know. Work on"

"Blake, it's fine. I'm fine by myself don't worry about it. Just get some rest"

Sun then proceeds to face his back against Blake as he makes his way towards the set of stairs that was located in the room. He was still persistent on avoiding Blake even though she wanted to get things fixed.

She thought that if only her mother didn't walk on them while she was brave enough to attempt what she did. But that didn't diminish the determination and feelings that she wanted to relinquish towards Sun. It made her heat up once more as she thinks of an idea that Sun couldn't avoid and could give her the opportunity to deal with the feelings that she was still hesitant to acknowledge.

But seeing Sun walk the steps of the stairs in front of him without even looking back had managed to fuel her desire to console him. And as he takes the final steps that would eventually lead to his room, she slowly tiptoes her way upstairs and commences her plan that would push the boundaries of what she was willing to do just for him.

After the eventful night that he had and the full stomach bought upon the food that he ate. Sun was finally prepared to settle in for the night and finally get some sleep that he wanted so very badly. He had changed from his usual attire and instead exchanged his top for a simple yet comfortable t-shirt and removed his shorts in exchange for some boxers that he still had.

He had turned off the light bulb above him that was shining bright and would prevent him from sleeping. Sun was then greeted with the comforting darkness around him and it managed to relax his eyes. But even with the light turned off, the steady moonlight that was streaming from his window had managed to light his room although dimly and it made him relax him even more.

Sun had felt guilty from his earlier actions of once again staving off Blake. He couldn't remove the image of Blake leaning over to kiss him earlier and it managed to keep his mind busy with many thoughts and trepidation's. He didn't want to get hurt even more that he was and knowing that Blake still had Yang in her heart would just manage to add insult to injury if she ever continued to kiss him.

But Kali's words continued to repeat in his mind as it challenges his goals and motivations. She was right. He would never be truly happy if he doesn't do anything about his relationship with Blake. Sun was feeling more and more in love with Blake as much as he didn't want to admit.

All of the challenges that they had faced together had managed to strengthen the things that made him fall in love with her. Her strength to push through with what she believed in. The kindness of her heart and her subtle but definite care for the ones that she loved.

These thoughts were starting to drive Sun insane so he just plops over with in his bead and drags the sheets that were provided to him in order to keep himself warm while amidst the cold breeze of the night sky. He had managed to close his eyes as he was very tired and wanted nothing more than to doze off.

Even at this time, Sun couldn't be rewarded with a simple thing such as sleep as incessant knocking was coming from his door and it kept him from completely closing his eyes and just resting for the night.

Wondering who could possibly be knocking at his door in this time of the night, Sun just let out a groan in order to acknowledge his own annoyance with the whole ordeal. He just couldn't manage to catch a break today.

Before he could even pick up his own weight and stand up from his sleeping position, Sun's door suddenly flew open and it revealed Blake. She was rapidly moving and before he even knew it, she was already inside his room and had managed to lock the door behind her.

"Blake, what the hell are you doing? It's already late, just go and sleep already"

"Can't you just keep quiet?"

Sun was befuddled with what was currently happening. Why was Blake here and why at this time. She surely had something under her sleeve and Sun was still trying to deduce what her plan was. He had originally thought that Blake just wanted to talk to him as their conversation was cut short earlier by Kali. But his eyes were suddenly fixed on what Blake was doing right in front of him and it gave more depth to what he had thought that was under her sleeve.

His mouth suddenly went agape and his eyes started to widen as he takes in what was currently happening right in front of him. Blake was removing the large coat that she had and throws it on the ground without even a single care in the world. Sun was starting to wonder if she was aware of what she was doing and decided to confront her before things get a little too intense.

"OH MY GOD BLAKE! Stop that, what are you thinking!"

Blake places a finger between her lips in order to signal to Sun that he should be quiet. She also accompanies it with a rough shush in order to completely shut him up

"Be quiet Sun! You don't want dad hearing you and suddenly burst in the room. He'll kill you for sure"

"He wouldn't kill me if you weren't doing this! Whatever this is"

"It's not what you think! Besides, who are you to complain?"

Before Sun could protest even further, Blake positions both of her hands on her waist and grabs hold of her pants. She slowly but surely slides them down with the intent to remove them and she bends over in order to fully remove her pants from her waist done and after a few seconds of struggling slightly, she finally manages to remove it from her feet and leave it on the ground laying beside her coat.

All that was left for Sun to see was Blake standing right in front of him with nothing but her black top and matching underwear for him to see. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't hide the intense blush that was flaring up in his face as he was astonished with what he was seeing. It was almost as if he was dreaming.

Blake's eyes and bright skin had managed to radiate even more with the moonlight that was creeping against the room and that made it all the more dreamlike to Sun. But he quickly snaps out from his trance and addresses Blake who was also visibly blushing herself and was clutching her elbow with her left hand.

"Sun, I know this is awkward but. Can I sleep with you?"

"Um first of all, why?"

"I just don't want to be alone right now"

Sun could see the beauty that was in Blake's eyes. As usual he was mesmerized by them and at this point, there was already no use going back and he couldn't say no to her even if he wanted to. Not that he had any problem with it.

"Sure why not. It's not like I can do anything about it can I?"

"Not one bit"

Blake lets out a small chuckle that had managed to make Sun smile a bit. He was still contemplating whether or not everything that was happening right now was real or not. Did he fall asleep and drifted into this wonderful dream or was it actually reality.

All of his doubts that all of this was one big mirage was suddenly wiped away as Blake continues with her advances and crawls her way along the body of his bed. The bed was quick to adjust to Blake's weight suddenly adding up to it and Sun felt the mattress sink as she continues to make her way towards him.

Sun scoots over in order to give some room for Blake to sleep in while also giving her some space to keep to herself.

She was finally done in positioning herself in the bed and Blake was now finally beside Sun on the bed that they were now apparently sharing. Even though they were supposed to sleep with each other, there was an obvious gap between them obviously made by Sun who was trying to be as modest as possible even with the lack of clothing that Blake was already sporting.

But Blake had no intention of keeping things this way. She wanted to feel the heat of her body against his own. To feel his heartbeat and to know that he was alright inside. And to do this, Blake wanted to be as close as possible that she could be to Sun at this point.

"Are you trying to avoid me or something?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"You're trying to be a gentleman like you always are aren't you"

"I figured that you wanted your own space you know"

She lets out the most cutest giggle that Sun had ever heard and that managed to strike at his heart. But what surprised him even more was the fact that Blake was so fast and sudden in closing the distance between that it managed to keep him off guard.

In just a blink of an eye, Blake had half of her body on top of his and her right leg positioned on top of his stomach. Earlier it was still possible to brush of the blush that was accumulating on Sun's face. But with Blake completely on top of him and her looks alluring him even more and more, it was starting to look impossible for him to hide his embarrassment.

Blake had noticed the furious red that was enveloping Sun's face right now. But alongside him, she also had her own shade of red that was plastered around her face but she tried to be more subtle about it as she was the one who wanted this anyway.

"Hey, you're looking like a little bit red right there" Blake teases.

"Don't blame me. A girl lying next to me in such close proximity isn't something that happens all the time"

"What, you never been with anyone before?"

"Not really. Was never really interested in a relationship when I was back in mistral"

"Oh. I never expected that"

Sun noticed that Blake's eyes dropped a little bit as he said that. Was she being upset about what he might've implied? But he was quick to take action and reciprocate the clear intimacy that Blake was somehow showing right now.

He wraps his arm around her in order to envelop her in an embrace. The heat of her body and her skin touching against his hand was more than he could ever hope for. And Sun decided to push the bar even higher and compliments her after being so long overdue.

"Have I ever told you that you look beautiful. And I'm not just saying that now, you really look amazing"

Blake's earlier look had suddenly faded away and a look of surprise exchanged places with it. It brightened Sun's mood knowing that she had noticed the gesture and was prepared to converse with her even more.

"Well you look...handsome as well"

The two of them share an uncomfortable laugh as they realize the situation that they were in. They never thought that things would ever end this way. And most certainly not like this.

"Well if it means anything. I have to say that I'm sorry for being such a dick to you earlier. I was in a bad mood and I know that you just meant well. Can you forgive me for that one?"

Even though Blake was the one that was supposed to ask for forgiveness and console Sun, he had somehow managed to still feel bad for his earlier actions even though his anger and resentment was justified. That sentiment was endearing to Blake and she decided to make it even.

"Look Sun you don't have to say sorry to me. You've done everything for me up to this point and all that you felt was justified by my actions. You don't have to feel bad because it's my fault, not yours"

"But I shouldn't have acted like that. After all, I was the one that chose to help you. So don't be guilty and let's just be happy that we're both still alive, okay?"

Blake was very persistent in keeping the blame to herself but Sun was being very stubborn and was still keeping it even. The fact that he was still trying his best to make her feel good about herself was speaking levels of how much she meant to her. It was starting to dawn on Blake that he was keeping him for granted so much.

"You know I never told you this seriously but, I feel that you care more about me than for yourself. Everything that you do is always for me and I feel bad knowing that you get nothing in return"

"Actually you're wrong on that one. Every time that I see you laugh, every time I see those rare smiles of yours, everything seems worth it in the end. And that's the only reason that I do the things that I do. Because I just want you to be happy. And by the looks of it, I think I've been paid enough"

All of the words that Sun had just said had reverberated all the way to her heart. It was full of sincerity and love that it was hard to ignore the feelings of attraction that she was feeling for the boy. A tear slowly fell down her face as those kind words really got to her and it managed to pull at her heartstrings.

She tried to wipe it away from her face as fast as she could so that Sun wouldn't be able to notice it. But it was impossible to hide as Sun was just staring at her for the longest time and he managed to let out a small grin as he holds Blake's hand and wipes the drop himself.

"Hey why are you crying, was my speech really that cheesy?"

"No Sun, it's just no one has really cared for me like that before. Besides my parents of course"

"Are you really sure about that? Because I know of a certain someone that does"

Sun's face sinks as he reminds her of the other person that she was forgetting as of right now. And he was successful in doing so as Blake's memories suddenly return to the time that she spent on the ethereal prison of hers. Even if it wasn't for real, the memory of Yang was still fresh in her mind and she managed to remember the promise that she had made right then and there.

She was reminded of the love that she still had within herself for Yang. Blake couldn't just sit there and ignore the fact that she had feelings for another person and that same person also loved her back. But she also couldn't just stay there and ignore the development that was happening between Sun and her.

Blake was currently in a crossroads right now. All that she wanted to do right now was to surrender to her feelings and just go with the flow. To actually hit it off with Sun after neglecting his feelings along with her own. But her love for Yang was doing everything that it could in order to prohibit her for doing so. To remind her that there was another person in her life that cared for her and even sacrificed everything just for her sake.

After a few minutes of just silence flowing between them. Sun had already known that Blake had reminisced of her feelings for Yang. He was sure that they just needed to get some sleep and put this night behind them before things could go to the point of no return.

"You know what, it's already getting too late. Let's sleep for the night and get some rest. We've already had a long day"

Sun's voice had managed to snap Blake back into reality. She had realized that she had phased out for a while after thinking about what Sun had just said. It was obvious that Sun was trying to give her an out in order for her to not feel as uncomfortable as she should be. But she couldn't just take the easy way out on this one. Blake wanted to act and there was no way that she was going to let this opportunity pass.

But she refused to give up. This was the only way that she can truly know the feelings that she was slowly having for Sun. He was currently the center of her life right now. It's as if every memory that she had of him had been amplified to the extremes and it managed to make her heart beat faster knowing that he also felt the same about her.

Without even a single shadow of a doubt, Blake presses up closer to Sun and in just a blink of an eye she was now completely on top of Sun. The amount of surprise that was on Sun's face was indescribable as Blake's movements were so sudden and unpredictable.

She didn't leave any room for Sun to think as without him even noticing, Blake had tenderly cupped her hands against Sun's face in order for her to caress it gently. She had finally made a decision for herself and she didn't care what it meant for the future. All that she cared about was now. And right now, all that she cared about was Sun.

Nothing was holding back her advances as her whole body continues to press against Sun's chest and her face drawing nearer and nearer to his. She felt like her heart was going to explode and she knew that Sun also felt the same. Blake had fully surrendered to her instincts and her feelings and deep inside she wanted this.

Blake closed her eyes as she braces herself for the impact that her lips will feel as they come in contact with Sun's. She could now feel the calm but warm breath that was coming out of him and she could tell, that Sun was also ready for this.

Happiness was an understatement of what Blake had felt as she felt Sun's lips pressing against her own. It's as if every emotion that she had within her was replaced with nothing but bliss and joy. She had felt every motion that both she and Sun exchanged as they continue to wrap each other in their embrace and their lips intertwining with each other.

Sun had managed to grab hold of the back of her head and a side of her face as he caresses her hair and her face. The passion that the two had while enjoying the act was indescribable as their emotions were at their most raw and sincere form. Blake could feel all of the emotions and feelings that Sun had cooped up and she didn't even know how long he hid this from her. But Blake knew at that point that Sun had loved her for a very long time and this was the only time he could ever be so direct.

Even if it was something that she didn't do often, Blake knew that this moment was the best memory that she had in a long time. She started to acknowledge that he also had feelings for Sun even if it took this long for her to realize it. Even with her feelings for Yang in the back of her mind, she just couldn't hold herself back.

There was almost no stopping the two as they continued to revel in each other's embrace and enjoy the company of each other's lips with their own. But they were starting to lose their breath and after a few more seconds, they finally pull out of their passionate kiss with their hands still touching each other and their foreheads still in contact.

The two of them breathe rapidly as their little exchange had managed to exhaust them quite a bit. But that drawback was something that they ignored as a little loss of breath was nothing compared to the experience that they had. Blake gazed back into Sun's eyes and tears away the silence that followed after.

"You asked me earlier if my kiss with Adam meant anything. It meant nothing, but I can assure you that this does"

"You don't have to tell me that now. And by the way, I never knew that you could kiss so well"

"Well now you know, you're not too shabby yourself. And hey, you liked me after all this time and the only reason that I know is because I kissed you?"

"How could I possibly tell you that I have feelings for you without sounding so desperate"

"To me, you have every right to show your feelings. Just like what I did right now"

"But what about Yang. I know that you-"

"Sun please. That doesn't matter right now. All that I know is that this feels right to me. And I'm happy with what I did, even if it leads to problems later on"

"Well I'm happy too. Never thought that I would ever get to kiss you like this. Much less actually let you know that I like you"

"You know that you can just say it, right?"

"I know, but I just want to be sure that I'm not moving too quick"

"You've been hiding it for so long. I just want you to let it all out. So just say it"

"Blake I just want you to know, that I love you. And there's no changing that no matter what"

"I love you too. Even if it's complicated, I just know that I love you"

The two smiled at each other as they finally affirm their feelings for each other. But there was still something nagging at the back of Blake's mind but she just refused to acknowledge it as of now. All that mattered was that the two of them were happy, and she would deal with the problem later than now as to not spoil the moment that they were sharing.

"So now that all of the mushy stuff is dealt with, can we actually sleep now?"

"Gladly. But I'm still sleeping here if you don't mind"

"Well that's good. And of course I don't mind. After all, who am I to complain"

They both laugh for one last time before they enter the position that they wanted in order for them to sleep the most comfortably. Both Sun and Blake were tightly compacted as the feeling of each other was relaxing to them both and they agreed upon that this was the way that they wanted to sleep.

Blake had nestled her face alongside Sun's while having her arms around him. While Sun wrapped her around his arms and continued to embrace her even as they sleep. They adjusted to this position almost instantly as they no longer felt the earlier awkwardness that was present between them. They both found comfort with each other and along with it an amazing sensation of safety.

It took many obstacles and days for them to be at this moment. But to them, all of it was worth it just to get one night of complete joy and happiness.

And to them both, this was the best night that they had in a very, very long time.

* * *

 **Welcome back! and as promised, here was the second part that I cut out from the previous chapter.**

 **I have read this chapter so many times now as I really wanted this one to be good because as I said earlier, this was a big turning point for the story at least in my opinion. I wanted their interaction together in the end to be as heartfelt as possible and for me, I think I did pretty well.**

 **I also felt the need to add mentions of Yang in this chapter as I felt that I haven't made enough nods to it and it needs to be their just to remind people that she will still come to play and things aren't going to be as clear cut as they are.**

 **This chapter is probably one of my favorites alongside the second chapter as I'm finally able to do what I wanted with Blake and Sun's feelings towards each other and it was a nice break after writing 2 large fight scenes and the previous chapters were more relaxing and stress free to make.**

 **I would also like to thank you guys because the story is almost at 3k views! Never expected to get this much support and I appreciate the kind words and help that people give me throughout the reviews that you make. It's amazing to see that people actually like what I make and I'm driven to continue further and make this as good as possible!**

 **On another note, my vacation is about to end in a few weeks and inevitably I would have to go back to school. Content would inevitably drop slightly as I would be busy with activities but I'll make sure to make something every week. I just can't guarantee more frequent uploads but I assure you guys that chapters won't abruptly stop from being uploaded. The frequency will just be diminished a little.**

 **That being said, thank you for taking your time to read this story and your reviews are much appreciated! And as always, see you next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

The morning sun had already managed to make its presence known by sneaking in small bits of sunlight inside the room that the two were sharing.

It was still pretty early in the morning and there was no reason for either two of them to wake up so suddenly. Blake and Sun had managed to be too comfortable in each other's embrace and it somehow created a bubble of peace around them.

Blake was still pressed up against Sun's body and he still wrapped her around a humongous hug. Their bodies were relaxed and their breaths were synced. Clearly brought about by the amazing night that they had just shared together.

Even in their sleep, their joy can be visibly seen in their faces. Attesting to how much they enjoyed each other's company. This morning couldn't have been more perfect for them to sleep in and regain the energy that they had lost from yesterday's trials.

But like everything that was great in the world, it was bound to end somehow. And the sound of boots that slowly paced on the hallway outside signalled the massive amount of trouble that they were about to face if Ghira had managed to see them in a scene like this.

It was still early in the morning, but Kali and Ghira were able to make breakfast early just so they can start the day off as soon as possible. Out of the two parents, Ghira was the most eager to spend time with Blake and he was sure to make the most out of every hour in the day and this morning was no exception.

He was on his way towards Blake's room in order to wake her up even if it was still very early. The breeze was cool and everything was quiet around him besides the birds that chirped outside. Almost nothing could remove the smile that was sternly formed in Ghira's face and this morning was as perfect as it could be for him.

But before he could get a head of himself. He was suddenly reminded of the request that his wife had given him and it had dropped his mood a little bit. Ghira had suddenly remembered that Kali had also asked him to invite Sun for breakfast.

The thought of him managed to annoy Ghira a little bit but he just decided to ignore it just this once. After all, he didn't want to ruin the perfect morning that he was having.

Ghira would inevitably reach Sun's room first before he could reach Blake's. He decided that it would be a good idea to get rid of the nuisance of waking up Sun for breakfast rather than to wake up Blake first. It seemed rational to him as the sight of Blake would remove the annoyance that he would feel after waking Sun up.

So he just sucked it up and after a few more steps, Ghira had reached Sun's room and he finally stood at his door. He tried the doorknob first before deciding to knock and Ghira had noticed that it was locked. His mind jolted to what he should do next and the logical decision was to just knock into his door and tell him verbally to wake up.

But Ghira felt the jangling of a set of keys that was tied around his belt buckle. And somehow someway, it ignited the more mischievous side of him and it gave him an idea that would give him some fun while dealing with his little problem.

A picture was painted inside his mind. He would unlock the door and sneak inside inconspicuously without waking Sun up. And he would scream at the top of his lungs in order to wake him up with a start and for him to see the look on his face as he got the surprise of his life.

To Ghira it was just a harmless prank and he was sure that he could pull it off scot free. So he committed to the act with a huge smile enveloped in his face as he reached for his keys and tried to find the right one for the room that Sun had occupied. He tried the first three keys that he got his hands on while he made sure to sound as quiet as possible.

After a few tries with no luck, Ghira finally hit the jackpot and he finally got the right key. A small click had signalled that the lock of the door has been undone and the only thing that was left was for him to enter into the room without alerting Sun of his presence.

Nothing could hold back the humongous grin that Ghira had. He was finally able to fulfil one of the small wishes that he had within himself and that was to prank Sun at least once during his stay in here. This was his house after all.

His eye sight were just starting to adjust to the sunlight that was pouring out of the window inside the room so Ghira's vision was hazy for the first few moments that he was in there. As his eyes got clearer and clearer, the smile on his face dropped more and more in proportion to the scene that had stained his mind.

Ghira stared in horror as he saw her precious Blake being wrapped around and completely on top of Sun Wukong. Questions had started to bombard Ghira's mind as rage completely built up inside of him and his temperature raised up along with it.

The large smile that he had earlier had been quickly replaced with a furious scowl as he tried to manage his temper. But no matter how much he tried to rationalize the situation, he couldn't stand the sight of it and decided to erase it as fast as he could.

"BLAKE! SUN!. WHAT'S THE MEANING OF THIS!"

Both Blake and Sun had managed to wake up in a blink of an eye and had automatically removed themselves from the earlier position that they were sharing. Blake pulled up the covers in order to hide herself from her father's view while Sun was still taking in the gravity of the situation.

"Sir, it's not what you think. We just slept together, that's all"

"SLEEP TOGETHER, ARE YOU INSANE! MY DAUGHTER WAS INNOCENT BEFORE SHE MET YOU"

"Not in that sense! We literally just slept together"

"COME HERE SO THAT I CAN PUNCH YOUR FACE INTO BITS"

The hulking mass that was Blake's dad was now approaching Sun with bloodlust in his eyes as he positioned his hands in order to strangle Sun as soon as he got a hold of him. But Sun's reflexes were too quick for Ghira's speed and he had somehow rolled over and was now sitting at the foot of the bed.

But Ghira was not done with his onslaught and he was now barrelling towards Sun and the two engaged in a high speed chase that could somehow cost Sun his life. Or at the very least a few broken bones and a few bruises.

The two were screaming as they started to run out of the room and towards the hallway outside. Sun was still in his boxers and t-shirt but his life mattered more than his dignity.

Their voices can be heard throughout the whole house as their intense chase had rattled the floorboards and the vibrations of their footsteps can be felt even downstairs.

This was not the morning that Blake had hoped to wake up to. All that she wanted was peace and quiet and it was immediately thrown out of the window as soon as she woke up. Since the coast was clear, Blake removed the sheets that were covering her and stood up from the bed.

All of the commotion that had happened throughout the house was surprisingly pleasant even though she expected to be annoyed by it. It felt comforting to know that things were finally back to normal and for once, she enjoyed the joyful chaos that happened.

Before Blake could do anything else, she heard another set of footsteps came from the hallway outside. It was far more calm than the intense race that both Ghira and Sun were presumably stuck in and she knew that the early morning antics had attracted her mother's attention.

Kali pokes half of her face inside of the room just to get a feel of what was going on. Upon seeing that it was only Blake inside the room, she decided to get some answers out of her regarding the cat and mouse game that Ghira and Sun were playing.

"Blake, why is your father chasing Sun? And actually, why are you in Sun's room"

Her mother had inserted a teasing tone to the second question that she asked. Kali was clearly intent in getting all of the juicy details especially because Blake had barely any clothing on.

"Mom, it's not what you think. We just slept together okay"

Kali's eyes had widened in surprise as she take the sentence that Blake had said out of context. Her face started to form back into a more teasing and sensual look as she tried to get more information.

"Wow. Never thought that you would go that far. Well it is Sun after all"

"ITS NOT WHAT YOU THINK!"

"Yeah you're right. Because friends just sleep in each other's rooms with only their underwear on"

Blake slowly but surely dug a grave for herself as Kali continued to persist that they got very intimate last night. Even though they did in some level. But not to that extent. But she needed to get out of this situation before her mother started to jump into more conclusions.

"How can I explain this without making it look like that, _things_ happened"

"Well first of all you can start by putting your clothes back on. I know that you wanted to look good last night but it's already morning"

"Yeah yeah I know. I just didn't expect that dad would come barging in right out of the blue"

She picked up her coat and pants from the ground. It still laid there after she undressed last night and she straightened them up before she put them on. But as she did so, Kali was still being forward with her questions and she started to get into the more, explicit details of Blake and Sun's night together.

"Can you at least tell me that you kissed Sun last night"

"That's... none of your business"

Blake was visibly shook with what Khali had just said and she just decided to shrug her off in order to avoid anymore suspicion. But the blush on her face had managed to confirm Kali's suspicions and that drove her to ask her even more questions after everything that she already found about.

"Come on Blake. I'm your mother, it's okay to talk about things like this, I don't really mind"

"What if I told you... that we did"

Kali paused for a moment in order to let Blake's words sink in for a moment. Blake also stopped for a bit as she wondered about the reaction that her mother would have after revealing this to her. But she didn't have to wait for long as Kali let a out a loud shriek of joy that had the ability to break the window that was in the room.

"Mom quiet down! Do you want to make me deaf"

"I just can't believe it. You do know that he's been holding out on you for quite a while now"

"I know that. I felt it when I kissed him. It feels bad knowing that he's been hiding his feeling from me after all this time"

"Well the question is, how do you feel about him?"

A small pause came between the two as Blake tried to find the response that she wanted to give to her mother. It was already given that she really did have feelings for Sun and he most certainly could say the same. But things were complicated and she tried to find a way to convey her true feelings to her mother.

"It's complicated. And besides, there's not much you can do anyway"

"Hmm. I'm guessing that you also like another person, don't you"

"Wait, how do you know that?"

"Well I won't say much but the reason why Sun was hiding all of that from you for a very long time was because he told me that you liked someone else. And for the longest time, he thought that he had no chance and wanted you to be happy with your decision"

Blake turned away from her mother and faced her back towards her. The blaring light of the sun was now shining brightly across his face. What Kali had just said was news to Blake and she didn't know beforehand that both Sun and her talked about things like this in their spare time.

"I'm really a screw up"

"Why would you say that?"

"It's because I don't have the guts to accept that I like him"

"Why not? It's not like there's anything wrong with it"

"I just don't want to make him feel disappointed that he's not the only one that I have feelings for "

"Well the only advice that I can give you is to just enjoy your time with him. It's not common to find people like him who love you no matter what"

"You're right. Maybe it's time that I fall in love again"

"Well you better go get him fast. At this rate, he'd be already dead if you don't stop your father from hunting him down"

The two finally ended their conversation and it gave Blake some ideas on how she should spend her day. But before she could plan anything drastic, she remembered that Sun was still being assaulted by his father and both her and Kali needed to step in before anything bad happened.

She picked up Sun's regular clothes and she brought it with her as the two of them made their way to the sounds of turmoil and chaos that echoed around the house. Her sharp ears had managed to tell her that the source of the sounds came from the backyard and she told her mother that they should go there in order to stop this little mess.

They had finally approached the living room and Blake saw that the sliding door that lead to the backyard was fully open and her eyes focused on the tussle that her father and Sun were locked in.

Ghira had Sun in a very tight chokehold and Sun with all of his abilities, tried to lessen the pressure that Ghira was applying to his throat in order to prevent him from completely getting choked out. But the huge size of Blake's father was backed up by his almost limitless amount of strength.

A purple hue had slowly started to make itself visible on Sun's face. It meant that he was slowly losing his breath due to the hold that Ghira had on him and if this had continued to persist even further, he was sure to pass out under the lack of oxygen in his lungs.

Blake and Kali had made their way urgently outside and they did the best that they could in order to stop Ghira from completely driving Sun into unconsciousness.

"Dad stop that! You're going to make him pass out"

"Blake step back! This boy has been a nuisance to this family and this was the last straw. I won't let him touch you any longer"

"But dad, I was the one that kissed him"

A large gasp came from Ghira's mouth and his mouth went so wide that it could break off with the slightest push. Even under the murderous hold that Ghira had him under, she had also heard Sun let out a small whimper with all that he could muster.

"Blake please don't lie just to get him out of this. It's not funny!"

"But it's true. So can you please just let him go?"

Ghira couldn't believe what she had told him. He was still hesitant to let Sun go as his anger was still in its prime and what Blake had told him had done nothing but to keep it at that level.

Deciding that there would be no end to this situation, Kali finally got fed up with her husband's abrasiveness and finally stepped into the scene in order to end this once and for all. She walked towards him and with her powerful right hand, she grabbed hold of Ghira's left ear and sharply pinched it in order to bring some sense into him.

The sharp pain that came from the pinch that Kali gave him had managed to make Ghira cry out in pain and continues to do so as Kali flipped the tables on him and continually applied pressure on his ear. With all the pain that coursed through Ghira, he had managed to let go of his hold on Sun and he collapsed on the floor as he tried to pump in as much air into his lungs as humanly possible.

Kali started to scold Ghira due to his childish actions.

"Honey, I know that you can be ill-tempered sometimes but you just got too far this time"

"Kali how can you stand up for this. Our daughter is having intimate moments with SUN! Out of all the people that are in this city"

"Well know your just being stubborn. Besides, it's Blake's choice whether or not to have a relationship"

Amidst the talk that Ghira and Kali were having, Blake had rushed over to Sun's side in order to see if he was okay or not. He may have not received any major injuries but there was no changing the fact that he almost lost consciousness.

"Hey are you all right?"

"Yeah, nothing like a nice loss of oxygen in order to wake you up in the morning"

"I'm serious, are you all right?"

"It's okay I'm fine. If anything, it's not much worse than what my left hand is"

"Here put some clothes on, wouldn't want you to lose all of your dignity"

Sun laughed a bit as Blake helped him up as he tried to recover from his loss of breath. He accepted the top that Blake had given her and he puts it on top of the shirt that he had and covered up his boxers with some actual shorts that he had that were decent enough to wear.

The two were finally done with their own conversation and they now focus their attention on both Kali and Ghira who still quarreled among themselves while Kali still had an iron grip on his ear.

"Mom you can let dad go now."

"Yeah honey I learned my lesson! Please let me go"

Kali answers the plea of his husband and with Blake's request. She finally released the pressure that she had applied on Ghira's left earlobe and he let out a sigh of relief as he tenderly caressed his throbbing ear.

"Kali you can really be harsh sometimes. You could have taken my ear off"

"Well that serves you right for ruining such a peaceful morning"

"Could you blame me if I got a little heated because of what I saw?"

"It's your fault for opening the room in the first place!"

The older couple had started to bicker once again with each other as they continued to argue regarding the situation that Blake and Sun had gotten themselves into. Both of them just stand there blankly as they had no power in order to stop their argument and all that they could do was watch and hope that all of it would die down eventually.

"Blake we really screwed up this time"

"Well do you regret what happened last night?"

"No chance. Just saying that your father really isn't a fan of mine"

"Maybe you. But I have an idea that can finally lead us to breakfast"

"Just don't do anything too crazy okay?"

Sun's last response to their conversation was met with a playful grin that he could only hope was not a sign for something that could get him killed for real this time.

"Don't worry. It's nothing that can't shut them up and something that you will definitely like"

Both Sun and Blake walk over to both Kali and Ghira who were still sharing a heated conversation between themselves. They would usually be sweet to each other but when these two argued, it could last for a whole day with them just debating with each other.

It would be a challenge to break these two up from fighting and Blake knew that she would have to do something drastic to finally get some peace and quiet after their hectic morning. So in order to stop the two for a moment, Blake stepped in at the middle of their conversation in order to grab the two's attention.

"Mom dad, can you just stop for a second"

Ghira responded first as he couldn't contain his frustration.

"Blake just let me talk to your mother for a few more minutes so that I can set her head straight regarding this little debacle"

"Dad, please just listen for a moment so we can finally eat"

"Fine, but after this I'm kicking that boy out of the house"

Ghira points over to Sun with his finger while he still maintained the scowl that he had which clearly showed his anger up to that point. All that Sun could do was give him an apologetic look as he did not know how to convince Blake's father that he had no ill-intent.

"Look dad, I know that you feel protective of me and I acknowledge that since I am your only daughter. But things like this are pretty normal and I assure you that Sun did nothing wrong to me"

"Blake you need to understand that boys are tricksters and he is no exception"

"Ugh. I didn't want to do this dad but you forced my hand"

Her father was confused at first as Ghira did not know what Blake had meant that her hand was forced. But there was a small inkling within him that knew that Blake was up to no good.

She looked over to Sun who had both of his hands in his pockets and stared dumbfound while Blake talked with her father. She called him over to her side and all that Sun could do was to oblige and he cautiously made his way towards Blake.

Sun had no idea what Blake had in mind and he needed context in order to know the situation that he was in. So he does what he thought was logical and asks Blake before things could proceed any further.

"Umm Blake, what do you need?"

"Just shut up for one second"

He was as stiff as a board under Blake's one request. All that Sun could do was stand their quietly and hope that this can be resolved without any need for anymore petty violence or screaming between them.

"Dad what I'm going to do is probably stupid but please don't freak out"

"Fine. But I'm not done proving my point and I want you to listen to what I have to saaayyy"

It's as if time stopped at that moment as both Kali and Ghira completely freeze in place as their body and mind took in the shock caused by what Blake had suddenly done right in front of them.

Her movements were so fast that none of them could have anticipated what had just happened. Blake had suddenly had both of her hands on Sun's face and can be clearly seen kissing Sun in plain view while Sun just looked as surprised as ever.

Ghira's heart felt like it would rip out of his chest due to the intense beating that he was experiencing. It was no exaggeration that he felt like fainting on the ground and he would have done so if he was pushed far enough.

If the circumstances were different, Blake might've held that position a little bit longer. But she remembered that her parents were right in front of her so after a few seconds, she quickly pulled out from it and faces both of her parents with the intent to share her own thoughts

"Look dad, I know that this feels weird to you and I would lie if I didn't admit that I feel the same. But I want to figure this thing on my own pace and I promise you that Sun is a nice guy. So can you promise me to just not freak out when things like this happen?"

All that Ghira could do was nod his head in agreement because he couldn't help but choke on his tongue as he was too surprised to say anything relevant.

Blake had managed to get away with what she had did as she knew her father really well. He couldn't resist her no matter how much he tried and even with his disapproval in this situation, Blake knew that she had already won. She just let out a small smile and winked at Sun while she made her way towards the dining room with as much sass that neither one of them knew that she had.

Ghira just made out a loud sigh and turns around while he scratched his head. He was beaten on this one and he just submits so that they can have a quiet breakfast once and for all.

The two made their way inside of the house as they have already gotten over what had just happened. But both Kali and Sun were still frozen in place while they tried to take in what had just happened.

Sun was bombarded with thoughts of both excitement and fear because of the storm of events that had transpired. The feeling of Blake pressing her lips against his felt ecstatic to him and it was a pleasant surprise after the wild morning that they had. But it was also terrifying to know that Ghira definitely had him in his sights and it felt that he needed to take extra caution when face to face with him.

Kali just stared blankly at Sun as she didn't really know how this thing ended with a kiss. So she just made her way towards him in order to make some small talk and question him regarding the sudden turn of events that had just unfolded.

"Good luck champ. Looks like things are about to get more interesting around here"

"Well first off all I didn't know that she could be that feisty"

"That's Blake for you. She gets what she wants no matter what. And by the looks of it, that thing's you"

"It's something to look forward too. Just wish that your husband won't kill me"

"He'll open up to you eventually. Besides, Blake's on your side and he can't resist his little girl"

"I hope so"

With all of the commotion finally dealt with. All four of them finally decide that it was time to get on with the morning and it was the right time to proceed with the breakfast that they had all woken up for.

* * *

The quiet breakfast that all of them originally intended to have had finally came into fruition after all of the commotion had died down and their energy spent and in need of refilling. Kali had prepared the usual breakfast that a family would share that was composed of bread and different varieties of fruit spread that would be applied on top of it.

Kali also tried her hand in making a special treat that she thought Sun and Blake would might like and that was pancakes. It was usually a staple in the different academies around Remnant during breakfast time and she thought that the two would find it nostalgic to experience eating them once again.

Ghira had a cup of coffee that accompanied his own meal along with a slice of bread that he had smothered with some blueberry jam. He had finally settled down to his more calm self and just tried to clear his mind by focusing on the warm liquid that burned his throat moderately and it somehow made him less tense despite him still being rattled from before.

Both Sun and Blake had managed to fill their plates with everything that Kali had thrown at them. And in accordance to Kali's intuition, the item that the two had most in their plates was the pancakes that she had made and they were very eager to try them out.

"Wow mom, I never knew that you actually made pancakes"

"I knew that the two of you would have had it in the past and I figured out how to make them. I just wish that you would like it though"

"No worries mom. I'm sure that you're good enough to make them perfectly"

"Well what are you two waiting for, try them out!"

Blake had applied some butter and syrup to her own batch of pancakes and cut them up in manageable bites. Sun also did the same but instead of using syrup, he tried to change it up a bit and applied some strawberry jam to his in order to experience new flavors than the one that he was used to.

Kali held her breath as she watched Blake take her fork and take a piece of her pancake and tried one bite of it. Blake paused for a bit as she tried to get all of the details that she needed in order to put a verdict on the taste of Kali's cooking. But she was not disappointed as her mother's pancakes tasted exactly the same or even better than the ones that she had in Beacon. And based on the look at Sun's face, he also had the same consensus as he now had a smile on his face after taking a bite from his own batch.

"Mom I can definitely say that you did a great job on this one. These things are great!"

"Yeah Mrs. B I've had this back in both Mistral and Vale but I've never tasted something as close to being good as this" Sun also adds.

"Thanks guys. Just keep eating though, wouldn't want you walking around with an empty stomach"

She didn't have to ask them to do so as the two continued to devour the contents in their plates and Kali was flattered to know that her cooking was still on point. Deciding that it was time for her to sit down and eat, Kali got her own plate and utensils and filled her own plate with the things that she wanted to eat for the morning.

After she took one last big bite from her batch of pancakes, Blake had finally cleared her plate and it was devoid of any trace or morsel of the pancakes that she had stuffed into her stomach. She was in the middle of taking some more from the center of the table until she noticed that Sun hadn't finished his batch yet.

Sun had taken his time in eating his own as he really liked how the strawberry jam tasted with the fluffy pancakes and he enjoyed every single bite of it. It managed to make her drool a little bit as Sun's combination looked really delicious and she couldn't help but become stuck in position as she couldn't break her gaze away from the delectable pancakes that she was dying to try out.

Blake hadn't noticed that she still looked at Sun while he was eating despite the uncomfortable amount of seconds that had already passed. He had noticed her and in order to break her trance, Sun waved his hand right in front of Blake just to wake her up from her semi sleep.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Yeah yeah. Sorry, I just got a little distracted"

He had noticed that Blake intently stared at the plate of pancakes that he had and that was enough for him to know what Blake had wanted.

"You want to try mine? It's really good and there's nothing wrong in mixing things up from time to time"

"Yeah sure. Never really had jam with my pancakes"

"Are you kidding? Here try one out"

Sun had taken his knife and fork and he cut off a considerable sized piece from his batch and smothered it with a generous amount of strawberry jam. He leaned closer to Blake and with his right hand, he invitingly signaled her to come closer in order for him to feed the piece to her.

Seeing that there was nothing wrong with it. Blake came closer to Sun so that his fork would be closer to her so that she could reach the piece that he had prepared for her so that she could taste it. With a few more slight adjustments to her position, she was able to reach Sun's fork and was successful in biting the jam smothered pancake that Sun had carefully fed to her.

The consistency of the jam and the softness of the pancake had managed to meld together in order to make a more smooth and gentle taste that provided a different effect from the syrup that she had used earlier. Blake was about to thank Sun for sharing his food with her but she suddenly heard a sharp snap from the opposite side of the table and the two of them looked over to find what had caused that snap.

They were surprised to see that Ghira had somehow snapped the handle off of his coffee mug and some of its contents had spilled into the table and had made some parts of his clothes wet. Both Blake and Sun were clueless on why he had done that but Sun had noticed that Ghira scowled a little and his eyebrows twitched uncontrollably.

He slowly realized why Ghira had done that and as he stared on the fork that he was holding and judging by his earlier act of feeding Blake by hand, Sun had known that he screwed up and he needed to fix this fast.

"Look sir I didn't mean to do that. It's just that your daughter wanted a piece, and so-"

"No need to explain. As Blake said earlier, this is just normal for her age and I acknowledge that. Even though I'm dying inside"

"Oh wow. Thanks for that sir"

Ghira just nodded his head in response and just continued to sip on his now handle-less mug of coffee and gripped it with his big right hand. Kali on the other hand was surprised on how maturely Ghira had handled the situation and she gave him a sharp slap on the back in order to congratulate him for his behaviour.

"Honey that's the spirit! See, we can handle this like two responsible parents looking out for our daughter"

"Easy for you to say"

Kali gave him one last pat in the back and they all once again resumed their regular flow and they started to eat once again. But as some time passed, Kali decided to start a small conversation that would concern Blake's activities for the day.

"So Blake, what do you plan on doing for your first actual vacation day here"

"I planned on going out with Sun and showing him around like a normal tourist would. He isn't exactly acquainted with the place"

"You should head over to the market. You can buy a lot of stuff there and I'm sure that there's a few things in there that would peak your interest"

The conversation that Kali and Blake were in had seemed interesting to Sun and he tried to ask some questions regarding the market that Kali had mentioned.

"Mrs. B do you think that they might have something for cleaning weapons in that market?"

"Actually a lot of them do. How do you suppose I keep my precious claws so nice and sharp. Also gives them a nice shine" Kali replied.

"I'm going to have to keep my eyes open for that one"

"So I guess we're going to the market today, aren't we" Blake chimed in.

"Yeah sure. Want to do some shopping as well" Sun told her

The prospect of buying some much needed goods and essentials had made both Sun and Blake look forward to their trip later that day and they were eager to explore the city as they haven't really done anything to look around while they stayed there.

"And that reminds me mom. I think my wardrobe is getting a little bit repetitive"

"You plan on shopping for some new clothes?"

"I guess so. Besides I have Sun with me, would nice to have someone look at me while I tried some new outfits"

Kali had exploded inside as Blake had suggested to shop for clothes and make Sun view her while doing so. It made her excited to know what would happen because of it and she couldn't wait for the look on Sun's face while doing so.

The same can also be said to Sun as he blushed because Blake had indirectly offered him to look at her beautiful face and form while she tried out some new clothes to wear. He somehow knew that Blake had planned this as a small grin can be seen in her face that showed hints of mischief and somehow joy. Things were going to be interesting but he was also nervous if things don't pan out the way they should be.

But the familiar sound of a sharp snap had once again invaded the eardrums of all three of them as Ghira had actually split his metallic fork in half and his whole face was buried in the plate that he had before him.

"Honey, what's wrong this time?"

"I can't take much more of this"

"Just be strong. You can get through this"

"I hope so. I'm slowly starting to wish that I was deaf during these kinds of conversations"

Kali walked over to Ghira who still moped around and was undeniably disturbed by all the things that he had witnessed. All that she could do was to gently caress his back while she whispered comforting words in his ears. Mimicking a lullaby that a mother would sing to her child.

After a few moments of this, Ghira lifted his face up from the plate that he had placed it on and paid no mind to anything related to both Blake and Sun. He just stared blankly at his food and continued to eat silently.

By that time, Blake and Sun had already finished their food and their stomachs were filled to the brim and neither one of them could take another bite of anything. It was already midday and it was the perfect time for them to set out and go on with their itinerary for the day. They stood up from the table simultaneously and asked permission from Blake's parents in order to go out for the day.

"Mom dad, we're done eating and it's almost noon. We'll be going out now"

"Fine, enjoy yourselves you two. You can finally get some actual vacation time so make the most out of it"

"You don't have to say that again" Blake adds.

Sun and Blake had started to make their way outside of the dining room and to the central door in order to make their way out of the house. And as they did, Blake saw in the corner of her eye that her father was staring at her with concern in his eyes. She didn't have it in her heart to leave her father in a state like that before she left. So she stopped in the middle of walking outside of the room and faced her father in order to reassure him that she would be alright.

"Dad. I'll be fine don't worry. I won't do anything weird with Sun so please, can I have a little smile?"

"Fine you got me. Have fun while you're out there"

Blake was happy to see her father smile once again and to know that his anger had finally subsided from earlier. It made her more confident to know that things were turning out to be better than she expected and she wished that it could be even better as time passed.

She had already resumed walking towards the exit of the room. But her heart suddenly stopped as she heard her father's bellowing voice call out to Sun who had also suddenly paused due to Ghira uttering his name.

"Sun Wukong. Face me because I have something to say to you"

A look of horror can be seen on Sun's face as he turned around in order to face the fearsome man which was Blake's father. He was afraid of what Ghira would say to him and he expected nothing but the worst from him.

"Yes sir?"

Ghira paused for a bit shortly after Sun had replied to his calling. Sun could tell that he was thinking of what he should say but he deemed it necessary for him to shut up and wait for what Ghira would say to him. All of the anticipation was finally cut short when Ghira had heaved a large sigh and looked Sun directly in the eyes.

"Just look out for my daughter. And...have fun"

Kali, Sun, and Blake were surprised to see that Ghira had uttered a sentence towards Sun that could be considered as a kind blessing opposed to the many discouraging words that he had said to him before. But Sun was quick to respond to Ghira's considerably kind words in order to acknowledge him.

"Yes sir! I won't let anything happen to your daughter. And I promise that I won't lay a finger on her"

"Good. Because if I hear a single complaint from my daughter, I'll kill you myself"

"Understood. Your daughter is in good hands"

Sun let out a big smile as he was happy to know that Ghira was slowly warming up to him. Although he picked up hints of hesitation from his tone, it was sincere enough for Sun and it was more than enough for him.

Ghira nodded his head in return to Sun and it concluded their conversation. He was about to turn around and continue walking but he was surprised to see that Blake was right beside him and she clutched his left arm with both of hers and her face pressed against his shoulders.

Sun was confused but pleasantly surprised because of the nice gesture that Blake had provided him. But his conversation with Ghira was fresh in his mind and that made him jolt knowing that Ghira would have noticed what Blake was doing to him right now.

He was in the middle of opening his mouth and was about to talk back to Ghira before he had any wrong notions. But before words could leave his mouth, Blake pre-emptively stopped him by speaking to her father first.

"Well dad you told him that he can't lay a finger on me, didn't say anything about the other way around though"

Kali had let out a small snicker as she was amused by how Blake could easily and confidently defy her father like that. It was also nice for Kali to see that Blake's more mischievous side was coming out in which can only be explained by her being able to finally relax after the hell that she had experienced during the past days.

But Kali wasn't as subtle as she thought as Ghira had caught her in the act and faces her in a blink of an eye. She quickly hides it in order to stave off the attention that he had given her and she was successful in doing so as Ghira immediately faced Blake and Sun in order to deal with her.

"You're just trying to get a rise out of me, aren't you?"

"What if I am? And besides, Sun doesn't have a problem with it, don't you?"

Sun stutters as he was in a bit of a pinch. If he wasn't careful with his words, he could either die at the hands of Blake's father or end up offending Blake in the process. But Sun decided to gamble with fate and just prayed that Ghira wouldn't spring into another rampage.

"Well no but, is your father okay with it?"

This was the safest option that Sun could think of and he just hoped that things can play out in his favor. The two looked at Ghira as they waited for his decision to come and they could tell that he really had no choice in all of this.

"Okay fine, just don't go beyond that please Blake"

Blake could put another victory under her belt as her plan had once again succeeded. She had outsmarted her father once again and with all of that settled, it was time for the two of them to finally leave.

"Goodbye dad. Goodbye mom. See you again later!"

After saying her goodbyes, Blake had dragged Sun off to the front door as he was waving his hand and he didn't have the chance to say goodbye himself. She continued to wrap Sun's left arm even as they exited the front door as it felt appropriate for her to hold him like that.

The loud thud of the massive door had meant that the two had finally made their way to the market that they planned on going to. And for Ghira it meant that he could get a few hours of reprieve after the torment that he had gone through this morning. He was at the edge of his sanity and he believed that he couldn't take another day of this if it still continued.

He breathed a sigh of relief and packed up the remains of his breakfast in a neat and tidy order. Alongside him Kali was also done with her food and together they made their way towards the sink in order to prepare them for washing.

After Ghira placed his dirty plates and utensils on the empty sink, he proceeded to rest his arms in the counter and leaned against it. Kali could tell that he was still in a bad mood and she wanted to talk about what his feelings were so that in some way, she could find a solution for him.

Kali leaned over his right shoulder and placed her left hand against his back. She gently rubbed her hand against him back and forth in order to relax him and free some stress that flowed through his body. With a gentle and calm voice, she started to talk with her husband and consult him about his thoughts.

"Honey, what's wrong? Tell me so I can help you feel better"

"It's just that I don't feel comfortable seeing Blake like this"

"What do you mean?" Kali asks, confused as ever.

"As her father, I know that I can be overprotective but it's because I want her to be safe all the time. She almost died once and I don't want her to get into anymore dangers like that"

"Isn't that a little over the top compared to Sun? And by the way, they haven't even told us if they're together or not"

"That's beside the point. What I mean is that she's growing up fast and it's just uncomfortable seeing her stray away from being a child"

"Don't worry about it. Can't we just be happy that she's happy? We are her parents after all"

"I guess you're right. At least she's not dark and brooding anymore"

The two of them giggled a little bit with the reference that Ghira had blurted out. It was safe to say that he felt a little bit better after his talk with Kali. This was always the case when he wasn't feeling fine or if there was something that bugged him, his wife would always find a way to cheer him up or strengthen his resolve. And her success rate in doing so was flawless.

"Thanks for that honey. I really needed that"

"Well at least you aren't grumpy anymore. And please, can you make an effort to like Sun. Even just a little"

"Hey I tried my best earlier. Wasn't that enough?"

"It's a start. But you definitely need to do better than that. After all, he might just become your son-in law"

That last part had made Ghira sick to his stomach and made him gasp at the thought of it. He could hear Kali snicker as she walked away from him while in his dazed state. As expected of Kali, she knew how to drop certain jokes or phrases that would make him uneasy and caught off guard.

"You know, that's not a good joke right"

"Who said that it was in the first place. I'm just saying that it's a possibility"

Before Ghira could say anything in return, Kali had disappeared from his sight without even a single trace. He thought that she must've proceeded with some errands that she had or just decided to mind her own business. All that was left for him to do was to pick himself up and start the tedious process of cleaning all of the dirty plates and pans that they had used for cooking and eating.

Ghira started to whistle a lively tune with his lips and lets his ears get flooded by the music that he produced and let the water run along the tap. After all, those dishes weren't going to clean themselves.

* * *

The amount of activity that was happening around them was diverse and lively. This time of the day was probably the most busiest as a lot of people had work to do and businesses to maintain. But for Blake and Sun, it was the perfect time to go to the market and look around as a lot of stalls and shops would already be open.

Blake knew the different corners and streets that were littered around menagerie. But after spending such a long time away from home, it was no surprise that she would get confused and lose her way from time to time.

Even with the wrong turns that they took and the heat of the sun looming over them the whole time, Blake and Sun couldn't help but enjoy themselves even though they haven't reached their destination yet. They couldn't seem to run out of things to talk about and all of their conversations were composed of and ended with laughter shared between the two of them.

Two large smiles were plastered along their faces and it managed to draw a few glances from time to time. Blake still clung to Sun like glue and she never removed her embrace from his arm as they continued to walk. It really didn't bother Sun and as a matter of fact, it made the trip all the more better seeing Blake as happy as ever and her special smile never leaving her face.

His heart continued to beat faster and faster as their trip continued to drag along. Even with everything that has happened between them Sun still felt nervous around Blake. But he welcomed this feeling with open arms as moments like this felt all the more special. Knowing that his feelings for her were still true and very much alive.

"I'm sorry if I got us lost Sun. I guess spending a lot of time away from here made me rusty with my directions"

"It's fine. Besides, I'm having a blast just by being with you"

"You do know that flattery can only get you so far right?"

"What, I'm just being honest with you. I am really having fun right now"

"Well you and me both. And by the way, what are you planning to buy in there?"

"As I said earlier I'm looking for something to clean weapons with. Not only for my staff but also for the sweet prize that I snagged"

"You really plan on using that sword?"

"Why not. It feels great and something tells me that I can use it right"

Sun waited for a response from Blake regarding their conversation. But he was only greeted with silence as Blake's grip became a little bit tighter than before and her smile had dropped from her bright face. He knew that he struck a nerve within Blake when he mentioned the sword that was used to almost take her life. Sun realized his mistake and he tried to backpedal as much as he could.

He started by patting Blake in the head and he pulled her closer to him. He made his voice a little bit more quiet so that it would feel more honest and personal for her. Sun knew that he was doing something right as Blake's ears started to flutter and it meant that she was slowly feeling fine once again.

"Look I didn't mean to remind you of that. I promise I won't mention it again okay? So can I get that smile again Blakey"

He finished of his sentence with a gentle caress to her cat ears as Sun knew that if done right, it would relax Blake a lot and it was a small thing that he liked to do whenever she would allow it. All of it was resolved as Blake bought back the wide smile that she had earlier and now with an added blush creeping along her face.

"Thanks Sun. And I think we're getting pretty close so keep your eyes out for stalls and mobs of people. If we see those two things, we're probably in the right location"

"Sure thing Blakey"

After five more minutes of walking with a vague sense of direction, Blake and Sun had caught sight of a massive amount of people had gathered around small booths and tents which to them mean that they have finally reached their destination.

Blake was excited to see the large amount of stores that were littered along the large open space that comprised the market. The different stalls were separated by small alleyways which allowed people to move around and look freely as much as they wanted to.

Her eyes lit up when she caught a glimpse of a stall that apparently had a large variety of books. She couldn't remember the last time that she actually finished a book and she was dying to finally get back into reading again. Blake was awestruck at the sight of that stall and her whole body begged her to take a closer look and start her shopping there.

"Come on Sun. I have to check something out"

She mildly tugged at Sun's arms as Blake tried to get him to look over at the stall that she was interested to browse through. He immediately caught sight of it and he had realized Blake's intents to go there first. Sun happily obliged and in a much faster pace, they mafe their way towards there.

Once they had reached the stall, they were immediately met with racks upon racks of books that were sorted alphabetically and in different genres. Blake was so excited that she couldn't decide where to start in her quest to find new books to read. She first started looking around the area that was designated for the books within the adventure genre. For Blake, these types of books were the ones that she would read the most as they were usually really long and one book can keep her occupied for hours on end.

Blake started to inspect the different books thoroughly. Every cover that seemed interesting to her had managed to catch her attention and she read the first few paragraphs in order to decide if it was worth reading or not. Some were intriguing and interesting enough for her to pick up and deem worthy of her time, and some seemed lackluster and was not really enjoyable at first glance.

While Blake merrily indulged in this one hobby of hers. Sun just admired her while she rummaged through the shelves and racks that were filled to the brim with books. From time to time, he would also pick up a book or two that interested him and would skim a little bit to see what it was all about. But most of his time was already occupied from just observing Blake herself.

In a span of a few minutes, Blake had picked up a huge stack of books that she really wanted to read and go through. Sun happily agreed to carry the books that Blake had planned on purchasing but he underestimated the amount of books that she had chosen as they all piled up on him and it was necessary for him to carry them with both of his arms in order to support their weight.

"Hey are you sure you can carry all of that? You can let me carry some if you'd like"

"Don't sweat it! I know that you still want to look around so just carry on. I'll wait here if you're done or if you find some more books that you like"

"Thanks. I won't go far so just sit tight"

Sun nodded his head in response to Blake and he picked up a book from the pile that he was carrying with the intention to pass some time while Blake continued to browse the shops collection. Blake scurried along and she had disappeared into one of the rows with shelves that contained a genre other from the one that Blake and Sun had been at.

She continued to walk along the stall while she meticulously searched for a genre that she was interested in. Blake had passed shelves and racks with genres like horror, mystery, and many more. But none of them were really her type and she was almost about to leave as she thought that she had already seen all of the books that the stall had offered.

But as she was exiting one of the rows of bookshelves that were in there, she caught a glimpse of a bookshelf that contained a genre that she was really private about and one that was more of a guilty pleasure than anything else. Blake looked around her to see if there were any other people beside her and Sun who were at the stall. She deemed that the coast was clear and she cautiously approached the bookshelf that had the tag Romance on top of it.

Blake was finally sure that she was alone in that spot and she had started to browse around the selection of books that were in this category. These types of books weren't really the type that she would laze around with all day and read for many hours without a single care in the world. She would read these books when it was in the middle of the night and when she was sure that she was the only one awake.

The stories in these types of books really drew Blake in despite her hesitance to admit that she liked the genre. They were all filled with many emotions and intrigue and she just couldn't help but get sucked into one if she was engaged with the characters and the story. She remembered the times she spent in beacon while trying to sneak in some time to read the romance novel that she had at the time which was called Ninjas of Love.

For Blake, it was one of her favorite books of all time as she fell in love with all of the characters written in it despite the sometimes raunchy content that it featured from time to time. She had decided to pick at least one romance book just to round up the large amount of books that she had already decided to bring back home with her.

She flipped through the vast collection of books that were right in front of her but none of them seemed unique enough to stand out. But one cover immediately caught her eye as it was familiar in design but different enough from the original which meant that it was the sequel for the book that was currently in her mind.

Her hand eagerly bolted to grab the book that caught her attention and she was surprised to see that it was a sequel to Ninjas of Love. It was called Ninjas of Passion and she had no prior knowledge that it ever existed. Blake quickly opened the book and read the first few pages and she wasn't surprised to see that it was of the same quality or maybe even better than the previous book.

Blake couldn't put the book down for even a second and she wanted to read more of it despite the danger of somebody spotting her. She looked around her once more to survey the area. But once again, she was only met with a comfortable silence and that pushed her to continue reading.

She was completely immersed in the whole story and it felt like the whole world was silent as she read every word in the chapter that she viewed. Feelings of nostalgia had flooded were mind and she was very pleased to have found another book that she would be eager to finish till the end.

But there was one problem that she had in her mind and that was how she would be able to purchase the book without Sun finding out. There was no way that she was letting him know that she would pick up a book like this and she was stuck in a dilemma on how to slip this past him.

In the middle of her devising a plan in her mind, Blake had felt a presence behind her back that she had detected because of her improved senses. Before she could react to it though, a hand had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and snatched the book right out of her hands. Blake was about to give the person that took the book from her a piece of her mind. But instead, she was met with a harsh blush as she had realized that it was Sun who had taken it from her.

Sun had inspected the cover and a small grin had appeared in his face. Even though Blake was very good at hiding her interest in these books, most of her friends had known of this little secret of hers and Sun was definitely no exception.

"Oh wow. I never knew that there was a sequel for this. Plan on taking this one too?"

"No of course not. I just checked to see if it was any good or not"

"Come on you don't need to get embarrassed I know you love this series"

Blake faced away from Sun as she felt really awkward that she was caught red handed and especially by Sun. She decided to just suck it up and take the book from him but Sun's voice had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and he had unexpectedly quoted a line from the original book that Blake had read.

"You're as beautiful as the moonlit night. As your eyes reflect the heavenly sky"

Her heart had started to beat faster than earlier as Sun had apparently quoted a line from the original Ninjas of Love. She had no idea on how Sun knew that line and she decided to ask him and find out for herself.

"How do you know that line?"

"I saw you reading that book of yours back at Beacon. You think you were being sneaky by hiding it but I knew the whole time"

"But how do you know about that line?"

"I hate to admit it. But I read a few chapters here and there. Thought it would be useful to remember some of the dialogue. And from what I know, that's your favorite"

Blake was completely astounded that Sun was actually able to read a piece of literature even if it was for a mundane purpose. But she couldn't deny that it felt romantic to hear those words coming from Sun and her blush grew more furiously as she stands there while her heart grew more restless.

"Don't be embarrassed of reading romance novels like this, it's completely normal. I'll get your other books and let's pay for them so we can head on out and check some other stalls"

"Yeah sure. We have more places to check out"

Sun could tell that Blake was acting a little bit weird after she had heard the line that he had memorized by heart. It also didn't help that Blake was as red as an apple and that made Sun smile as she looked adorable as usual while in this state.

"Hey your acting weird. Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine. What makes you say that"

He let out a small laugh as Blake was completely flustered. The fact that it only took a single line from the book that she loved to make her act like this made her all the more cute to him but they had already spent some time in this stall and the two of them wanted to cover as much ground as possible.

In order to not make a fuss about this small encounter, Sun just pats her head once again while he rubbed her ears as Blake paid no mind to his acts. His legs felt shaky and his heart slowly melted as Blake continued to act so innocently and it was so adorable that Sun tried the best that he could in order to act cool right in front of her.

And with that, Sun headed over to the counter while he carried the rest of the books that Blake had picked out and they proceeded to pay a reasonable amount of lien for all of them.

The first stall that they have visited in the market had already provided them with a hefty load to carry around in their stroll in the market. The sheer amount of books that Blake had picked up had managed to fill up two paper bags to the brim and Sun had exerted some force to carry the bags properly.

Blake had offered to carry one of the bags that Sun had. But he denied her request and just encouraged her to look around and find some other place that she was interested in.

"So now we're done with your book shopping. What's next on the list"

"What else do you have in mind?" Blake asked.

"I already spotted a stall that sold some supplies to clean my weapons with so I can pretty much just get back to that later. So I guess you can shop for more things that you want"

"Are you really sure that you don't want to look around yourself?"

"Don't worry about it. Seeing this place was already a treat for me and buying stuff is just an added bonus. So, where do you plan on going now"

"Well let's look around and find out"

Blake took command of their trip while Sun followed her directly but the weight of the bags that he had in his arms had prevented him from moving faster as he lugged around the heavy collection of books that he had. But his stamina was strong enough to support the energy that he was using up and it really didn't do anything much to hinder him from moving fast enough.

Clothing wasn't really something that Blake had bothered to delve into. The only thing that mattered to her was if something was comfortable or not and it was the only thing that she considered when picking out clothes. But somehow she felt that her wardrobe was now lacking in variety and in dire need of an update.

The large coat that she always had covering her had started to become an inconvenience as the heat was already hard to conquer and the coat she had wasn't really doing her any favors in terms of comfortability. So Blake wanted to find a proper substitute for it while they were still in Menagerie.

The second priority that she had was her outfit during night time. Usually she would wear a pair of pyjamas but it dawned on her that she was getting old for that kind of attire. Blake thought that a nice nightgown would be comfortable enough to wear and the only thing that she needed was a stall that had all of those things to ease the work that would be needed if they bounced from shop to shop.

She had spotted a few clothing stores here and there but none of them really fit her taste and the selections that they had were not extensive enough to support her needs. Sun started to get tired and he needed to catch his breath in order to move forward. So he took a knee in order to rest for just a bit and restore some energy.

"Hey Blake I need to get a break. Can I just catch my breath for a second"

"See, stop being so cocky and give me one of those bags. You're going to pass out"

"Just worry about finding a shop that you like. I can get some rest while you look around in there"

"Fine fine. Oh wait, I think I found it"

Sun pulled himself up after resting on his knee and came over to Blake in order to see where she had pointed at. She had seemed to find a decently sized stall that had barely any people on it and Sun had noticed that there were dresses and skirts that hung in racks and boxes that were filled with women's underwear. Sun looked at Blake with wide eyes as it was a women's clothing store that she was interested in and there was no possible way that people wouldn't look at him if he followed her.

"If you plan on going in there I should stay here. People are going to think that I'm a creep if I join you"

"Well I need someone to see if it looks good on me or not"

"You should have bought your mom for that"

"Oh come on. She'll just say that everything looks good on me"

"And you think that I won't do the same?"

"Just stop whining and follow me"

The strain of carrying two heavy bags while in the middle of the blaring Sun had taken a toll and Sun and it made it so that Blake easily pulled his right hand and dragged him along much to his behest. They proceeded towards the clothing store that she had set her eyes on. Sun was trying to reason with Blake in order to avoid any uncomfortable encounters with the people there but Blake already had her mind set on what she wanted and there was no stopping her.

After an excruciating walk towards their destination, they had arrived at the clothing store that had caught Blake's eye and she tried to think of the best way to tackle her shopping in here. There were a few people who were browsing in the shop and as expected, all of them were women and some glances were thrown at Sun for him just being there. Sun was afraid of what the people in their would think of them but Blake paid no attention and just carried on with her own shopping.

Blake made her way to one of the circular racks that housed an assortment of shirts and tops. They came in assorted colors but bright hues weren't really her thing and she preferred dark colors like black and violet for her to appear more subtle and discrete. The rack turned around on an axis so that she wouldn't need to go around it to view all of the clothes that hung through it. Searching through the whole thing, Blake found nothing that suited her taste but the amount of clothing in display and the amount of racks to go through had told her that there was still hope and she continued to look around the small space.

In order to avoid any unnecessary attention from people inside the shop, Sun decided to sit down at the entrance of the stall and look at the opposite direction. It was the most respectful way to follow Blake into the store and one that would prevent him from gathering unpleasant stares from the other people who were looking around and tending to their own needs.

Sun had managed to catch his breath for a while and he had laid down the books that he was carrying on both of his sides. Their combined weight had unexpectedly drained him far more than he expected but he experienced much worse and it was nothing more than an inconvenience.

Things were starting to get boring for Sun as the only thing that he could do to pass the time was to stare at the huge crowds of people who were walking around in the bustling market. He had observed that the types of Faunus that were there had diverse looks and no one looked particularly similar from one another. Others looked more human like but sported animal parts, but others have much more noticeable features like skin tone and other augments to their body.

The place was very fascinating for Sun as he had never really seen a large amount of Faunus concentrated in one place. He felt happy knowing that they could live normal lives even in times like this.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard Blake calling his attention from behind him and he picked up the two bags that he had and continued to walk towards her.

It looked like that Blake was done selecting the clothes that she wanted to buy and she had them all bundled up in her left arm as the clothes hung from it. As Sun had expected, Blake's color choice wasn't really diverse or unique as they were either purely black or contained small splashes of either white or the color violet.

"So you're finally done in here? People are starting to look at me funny"

"We can't leave yet. I haven't tried them out"

"Then what do you need me here for?"

"Are you really this dense?"

With her right hand, Blake had grabbed Sun's wrist and she dragged him towards the counter of the store and Sun was powerless under her grasp as he still had bags in his hands and they had really started to annoy him because he couldn't do anything because of how heavy they were.

The lady on the counter stared intently at Blake who still dragged Sun right behind her. She had noticed that Blake was headed towards the changing room and it looked like she had intended to bring him along with her inside. As they approached the singular changing room, all of the customers inside had looked wide eyed and shocked as they realized what Blake was doing.

Blake had caught on that everyone looked at the two of them so she quickened up her pace and she pushed through the blinds that covered the changing room and closed it as soon as possible.

The space inside was really small and there was barely any room to move. So Sun and Blake had to make do with what they had and the first thing that Sun did was to let go of the two bags that he was carrying and placed them on top of each other in the corner of the room.

"Well this is certainly awkward isn't it" Sun told Blake.

"I'll try to be quick as possible so let's just do this"

"Fine. You're really serious about this aren't you"

Sun got no response apart from Blake removing the large coat that she had and throwing it at the ground. He could once again feel his heart racing as usual as he was faced with one of these moments once again. Blake took a tank top from the pile of clothes that she had with her and showed it to Sun to get some of his thoughts on it.

"I'm not really the tank top kind of girl but it looks comfortable enough in this weather"

"It's nice to try new things out. Why not start now"

"Okay, I'll try it on and see how it fits"

Without any hesitation and any sign of caution, Blake had quickly undressed her current top and the only thing that was left for Sun to see was the bra that she had covering her. He tried to turned around but by the time that he recovered from his initial shock and had the idea to turn around, Blake had already put on the tank top that she had and was expecting an answer from Sun.

"So how do I look?"

"Wait, wait. I need to catch my breath"

Sun turned around from Blake and placed his hand on the wall that he faced. He needed it in order to balance himself as he tried to recover from his sudden nausea caused by his intense nervousness and the unsteady beating of his heart.

"Umm, are you okay?" Blake asked with a little bit of a chuckle.

"Look, If we're going to do this you're going to have to show a little bit of restraint"

"Why? It's not like you haven't seen me in my underwear before"

"I don't want that to be something that I get used to okay?"

"Fine I'll try my best. So now can you tell me if it looks fine?"

He got over the sudden sickness that had struck him and his eyes were finally able to focus on Blake. The tank top that she chose had fit her quite well and to her, it was as comfortable as it could be. But for Sun to fully evaluate it, he also needed to get a view of the backside.

"Hey can you turn around for me?"

"Sure"

The color of the tank top was purely black and it was no surprise to Sun that it would be the color that Blake would go for. But even if it would usually look bland on other people, it just managed to accentuate Blake's features and her radiant skin and it just looked too good for him to turn it down.

"It looks great on you as usual. Even though black is getting a little bit old, it really looks perfect on you"

"Definitely taking this then. I can finally wear something at home that doesn't make me sweat like an oven"

"We have more to go through, so just go on"

"Okay I'm going to show you a nightgown next so prepare yourself. And you don't need to turn around, unless you want to" a small blush appeared on Blake's face as she spoke to Sun.

"I'll turn around. Thanks for the offer, I guess"

Sun was finally successful in giving Blake the privacy that she needed but didn't want. He tapped his foot in order to drown out the sounds of her belt unbuckling and clothing getting undressed by the second. Things started to get really awkward for Sun but Blake wanted this and the only thing that he could do was to oblige. Things finally go silent for a second and after a while, Blake signaled Sun to turn around.

He was nervous at first because he was expecting something that would turn him into a catatonic slab. But all that he was able to give back to Blake was a tiny smile and eyes filled with amazement and wonder.

The nightgown that Blake had tried on was a major improvement from the clothing that she currently wore on her sleep. It was mainly black but most of the outlines were white in order for them to show off a nice contrast. The material used was a fine and smooth silk and it made the gown more suited for night time which complements its purpose.

It had a small skirt-like section that was made out of white lace and it had patterns of roses embroidered into it. The one last piece that made it all the more perfect was the fact that Blake was the one wearing it. He couldn't think of another person who would come close to making the look as complete at this and he was undoubtedly stunned by the sight of her in that gown.

"Wow. You look...amazing"

"Really, and you're not just saying that?"

"No, you look beautiful. You should get that immediately"

"I'm happy that you liked it. I really wanted it for myself"

"I don't know what I did to deserve this. Seeing you looking so gorgeous is one thing that I would never dream of before this"

"Oh stop. I have one last thing to show you. But promise me you won't die if I do"

"Oh boy, you're going to go overboard aren't you?"

"Well you're the only person that I'm comfortable sharing this with. So can you help me out on this one"

"First of all, what are you going to show me?"

Blake twirled her fingers nervously as she tried to muster up the courage to tell Sun what she had planned to try out. She already knew that things were awkward enough and this would do nothing but escalate it even further.

"Let's just say that you need to turn around this time"

"That's not a good sign"

"Turn around, I'm going to change now"

Sun turned around for a second time and he also closed his eyes for good measure. He tried to prepare himself mentally for what he was about to see.

Blake had removed the nightgown that she had tried out and placed it in a pile that composed of the clothes that she decided to purchase and appropriately suited her taste. All that was left that she had on was her matching black bra and underwear that she would also remove. She went over to the pile of the clothes that she hadn't tried out yet and reached for the pair of new underwear that she meant to try on.

She held it up with both of her hands as she tried to untangle them from their laces. Her breathing had started to get faster and was debating with herself whether or not to push through. But this was the last piece of clothing that she really wanted to see if Sun liked and she wanted to give him something in return after he carried all of the books that they had with them.

Her hands trembled and her heart rapidly moved out of sync as Blake started to undress the only remaining attire that she had and was fully naked by the time that she was done. She was worried that Sun might turn around while her whole body was in full view so she signaled him first before anything else.

"No matter what you do, please don't turn around yet"

"You don't have to tell me that"

Everything was in the clear and Blake was given enough time to fully put on the matching underwear that she had picked out. She could feel that Sun was starting to get more and more anxious because of his body language. He couldn't stand still and moved parts of his body in small twitches. But she couldn't deny that she was also nervous herself and this was something that she never thought that she would ever do.

Blake had put on a matching black bra and underwear that had a different design from the original pair that she used. Along with her nightgown, it also had patterns of small roses sown into it and small decorative designs like flowers scattered in it. They were really comfortable for her and it surprised her that buying things like this were actually needed from time to time and she understood why Weiss would go shopping every month for clothes when they were back in Vale.

The only thing left for her to know was Sun's opinion on it. Truthfully, this was the first time that anyone would actually see her in just her underwear. Contrary to what other people believed in, team RWBY had strict privacy rules and no one had really seen each other without any proper clothing on. So it was understandable that she was nervous and blushed uncontrollably.

Sun had heard Blake breathe in loudly and the next thing that followed was her telling him to turn around after all of her preparations.

"You can turn around now"

"I hope that this isn't something too ext-"

After catching a quick glimpse of what Blake had on, Sun immediately turned bright red and his legs turned into jelly as he slowly collapsed on the floor. He had expected Blake to try something like this but never really thought that she would actually push through with it. Blake had noticed that he had slumped into the floor as he covered his eyes with both of his hands.

"Sun, what are you doing?"

"You're really trying to get me killed by your father aren't you"

"He's not here your fine. So just see if it looks good on me or not"

"This is not something that you just show someone without a single care in the world"

" Look it's fine Sun. And it's not like I'll flaunt my body every time I'm with you. Consider this a special treat and I'll promise that no one will find out"

"Fine, but this is the last time I'm joining you with your clothes shopping"

"I highly doubt that"

Sun removed the hands that he used to obscure his vision and after they had adjusted, he swear that his heart had exploded as soon as he caught full view of how Blake looked like. He turned into a pile of stutters as he admired every part of her and he tried his best to look calm but he knew that he did a bad job at hiding the look that he had on his face.

"So, does it look good?"

"Do you even have to ask that"

"Judging by the look on your face I guess I don't have to. I'm going to turn around and see how it looks from their"

"Nope! If you do I think I'll die of blood loss. I think I've seen enough"

"Well this was the last of them. I'll pack them all up and we can finally get out of here"

"Finally. Just change as fast as you can while I turn around"

"Got it"

Sun turned around and faced the wall while Blake started to return back into her old clothes. They can finally both act normal again and make it out of this awkward situation. This was another experience that they won't forget in a long time but not in the same way that they had before.

Blake had finally finished changing and Sun had taken the books that he placed in the corner and picked them back up with both of his hands. After all of their preparations, they nodded their heads together and they simultaneously went out of the changing room that they were in.

It managed to slip out of their minds that there were people who had seen them enter the changing room together and those same people had their eyes intensely locked with the two of them. Some had looks of shock and bewilderment while others had small grins in their faces and it was obvious what they thought had happened in there.

The only thing that Sun and Blake did was blush and they ignored their uncomfortable gazes and made their way towards the counter. They were eager to leave the place immediately as they didn't want to raise the reputation that they have built in that place.

The woman at the cashier had a small grin in her face as Blake placed all of the clothing that she had picked out on the counter with Sun in tow. Blake was nervous as the woman continued to look at her with a devilish grin and she knew that things were about to get a little tricky as soon as the woman opened her mouth.

"You two look cute together. Are you a couple?"

"Well it's kind of complicated I guess" Blake replied.

"Oh come on there is no way that you aren't a couple. I mean who would freely drag a boy around and see how they looked. Especially with the clothing that you bought"

She pulled out her hand and digged through the pile of clothing that Blake had planned to buy. The woman pulled out the pair of undergarments that Blake had planned to purchase and held it with her hand.

"See what I mean?" She told Blake with an even wider smile.

Blake's eyes quickly darted to the piece of underwear that the lady got hold off and snatched it out of her hands immediately.

"Can we just pay already so we can leave?"

"I'll be back in a jiffy to pack this up. Just leave the payment their"

Blake breathed a huge sigh of relief as she was finally released from the unbearable conversation that she shared with that crude lady. But before she could relax for even a second, the lady leaned over to Sun and signaled him to come closer.

Sun was confused and just followed her request and moved closer to her. The woman leaned closer to him and started a small conversation.

"Hey if you don't move quickly you're going to miss your chance with little Missy here. I suggest that you make your move and make it official"

He took a quick step back as he was surprised on what he had just heard. Sun quickly looked over to Blake who had wide eyes and a shocked looked on her face. He quickly faced the woman once again and responded as best as he could.

"Well it's not like we're not together. We're just taking it slow that's all"

By that time, Blake's face was as red as a tomato and her body was as frigid as ice. Sun had realized that he revealed too much than he should and it was time for him to cut this conversation short before things got more tense than it already was.

"You know what, I'll just shut up now"

"I'm just teasing you. Here's your stuff and come again if you want" She replied.

After paying for the lien that they had owed the store, both Blake and Sun bolted out of that place as fast as they could and they distanced themselves far far away from it. They kept on running for awhile until they both fully lost their breath and deemed it necessary for them to stop so they won't pass out.

"We're never going in there ever again" Blake tells Sun.

"Yep, definitely not"

"So, where do you want to go next Sun?"

"We've been out for quite a while now. Let's just backtrack to that store which sold some weapon cleaning supplies and let's call it a day"

"I'm exhausted as well so why not. We have a couple more days before the next ship to Mistral is available"

"It's settled then. Let's head over their so we can get back as soon as possible"

Blake nodded her head and after finally catching their breath and steadying their worn out hearts, they made their way to their final stop before heading back home and resting after their first vacation day in Menagerie.

* * *

After a long and eventful day full of surprises and misadventures, the only thing that Blake felt on doing to finish the day off was to relax on the balcony of their house and enjoy the company of the cool night breeze.

She had to admit that this day was the most fun that she had in a very long time. Every passing hour felt like a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders and her smile kept growing and growing throughout the whole day. Not only did she spend time with her family that was long overdue, she was also able to spend quality time with Sun without anything related to the White Fang or any other troublesome subject.

While she looked at the stars and the moon that accompanied them, all that she felt was thankfulness for the opportunity that was given to her to start anew. And she couldn't imagine herself being more happy than she already was at that moment. But as soon as those thoughts crossed her mind, she heard a set of footsteps behind her and she looked back to see Sun who approaching her.

"Still any room on this balcony for me?"

"Of course"

Blake moved to the side in order to give Sun room to lean on the railing where she was at. Sun took the place that Blake had given her and they both looked over to the view that the balcony had given them with smiles on their faces.

"So, did you enjoy today?" Sun asked

"Yep, probably the most fun that I had in a long while"

"I'm glad that you feel that way. And the best thing is that we still have a couple more days to lay low and relax. isn't that fun?

They both laughed as a sign of agreement and they once more admired the view in front of them and took in the peaceful atmosphere around them.

The silence that they shared persisted for a couple of minutes until Blake decided to break it. Something gnawed at her and the only thing that could satisfy it was to ask Sun about something that she had in her mind.

"What are we Sun?"

"Umm what do you mean, I'm confused"

"I mean, are we together or not?"

Sun didn't know why Blake had suddenly asked this question, but he knew that it was caused by the events that happened earlier today. In order to put her mind at ease, Sun answered her as truthfully as he could.

"To be honest, it doesn't really matter to me"

"It doesn't bother you?"

"As much as I would like it to be true, I don't want to force you in a situation that you don't want to be in"

"Being together with you is something that I'm not forced to do. And if anything, I would be happy if we were"

Blake placed her right hand on top of Sun's and gave him a genuine smile in which Sun also returned. But she was not ready for the huge hug that Sun wrapped her and her heart started to race while she also wrapped him with her arms.

Sun leveled his face to hers and looked her directly in her eyes. As always, they mesmerized him every time that he set eyes on them and it made his words more truthful and from the heart.

"All that's important for you to know is that I love you. And if you feel the same, I'm already happy from the bottom of my heart"

"Well I love you too I just hope that you realize that. And I'm sorry if I don't show it all the time"

"Of course I know that. I don't think things can get better than they already are right now"

"Well, I think I can put a cherry on top"

With a big smile on her face, Blake pulled Sun closer to her and gave him one big kiss on the lips and made their embrace even more tighter. This was the second time that they've done this but the feelings that swelled within them felt as surreal and amazing like the first one. They continued this exchange for a while until they were satisfied expressing their love for each other and pull out from the kiss entirely with laughter as they did.

"That's something that I won't get used to" Sun said with small bursts of laughter coming out of him.

"Well that makes it all the more special I guess"

"I'm lucky to be with a girl like you Blake"

"You know that I'm the one who should be saying that"

"We can call it even then" Sun replied in return.

Finally satisfied with the moment that they shared, the two of them gazed at the night sky for one last time while Blake nestled her face on Sun's neck and her being wrapped around his arms.

This was another day that made all of their sacrifices worth it. And the only thing that they could wish for were moments like this to remind them that things were better than they were. The only thing that was left for them to do was to take a step towards the future, and hope for the best.

* * *

 **Well before things start, congratulate yourself after that awfully long wall of text!**

 **It's been a long time since I last uploaded and I didn't expect that school would really take this much of a toll for updates in this fic. I have to apologize for that but there's nothing that I can really do about it.**

 **That being said, this is currently the longest chapter within the fic and consider it a small treat after a few weeks of getting nothing out of it.**

 **I still have a few more chapters planned out and ready to write but don't expect them to come as fast as my previous uploads because as I said earlier, things are really getting hectic in my schedule and I only have a few hours to write within a day.**

 **I would also appreciate if you give some feedback regarding how the chapter was written, I kind of changed up the grammar and wording due to the suggestion of a friend and through the reviews that some people had given. This is also the first time that I've tried writing fluff so feedback regarding that is also much appreciated.**

 **After all that said and done, thanks for reading and I hope to see you next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

The whole week was nothing more than hectic and stressful for Ghira as he tried to cope with the new circumstances that were around him. The chaotic morning that he had experienced earlier in the week had never repeated itself much to his delight. But each morning had bought with it the dawning realization that his daughter was really getting older and far more mature than the little child he once knew.

Throughout the whole week, his and Kali's daily routine was to wake up as early as possible in order to prepare breakfast and start the day off right. But as Kali was tasked to cook as she usually did, Ghira was given the excruciating task of waking both Blake and Sun up in time for their first meal of the day.

But the sudden change regarding Sun and Blake's new relationship had brought with it a curse that he had to deal with and that was waking them both up, while they slept together. This was something that Ghira dreaded to his core as the image of her daughter pressed up against Sun was something that he really didn't want to see.

They both slept at the guest room that Sun had stayed in over the course of their visit. For the first couple of days, Ghira still checked Blake's room as he thought that she was still in there and then he would be hit with the realization on where she really was. And as per usual as soon as he would open the door to the room that they were both staying at, he would harshly knock on the wooden door and the two of them would wake up with a sharp jump. He would also put on his tough guy voice in order to intimidate the two of them . It may have been effective for Sun but Blake definitely never bought it even once and just got annoyed by his presence.

Over the course of a couple of days, Ghira had slowly gotten more tame with his reactions and his actions changed along with it. He started to walk directly towards the room that both Sun and Blake shared instead of heading straight towards Blake's room in accordance to his instincts. He started to knock first before he entered and was now calm although still applying his more deeper voice every time that he spoke to the two of them. Overtime even though he didn't want to accept it, Ghira had come to terms with the fact that Blake and Sun were truly in a mutual relationship that they both wanted.

Ghira didn't even notice that he was already in front of the door that lead to Blake and Sun's room. He tried to knock on it in order to get their attention but it seemed like both Blake and Sun were still knocked out cold. The past couple of days had been very draining for the two of them as they tried to make the most out of everyday that they had spent in Menagerie. Sun and Blake had tried many activities that were in the island in order to relax after the trials that they faced and they would come home with large smiles across their faces but along with it came the fatigue that these activities caused.

After a few more futile attempts at waking them up, Ghira gave up and decided to try the doorknob to see if it was unlocked or not. Much to his surprise and convenience, it was unlocked and he was free to stroll in and check up on the two of them. He slowly tried to move the door to the side in order to be as quiet as possible as to not wake them up in a manner that would cause them discomfort. The door had produced a small squeak as he opened it but it was subtle enough for it to be unnoticeable for the two of them to hear.

Ghira made his way inside the dimly lit room as the sunlight was covered by the curtain that was draped across the window. The air was cool and it was understandable why both Blake and Sun would still be asleep at that time since the opportunity was too good to pass on. He had set his eyes on the two as he could see that they were both covered in the sheets that they were provided with and Ghira saw that Blake was on top of Sun while she enveloped him completely while Sun did the same.

The smiles that the two of them had on their faces felt contagious to Ghira as he didn't even notice that the scene in front of him had manage to also produce a small grin. The fact that Blake was at her happiest whenever she was with Sun and it can even be seen in their sleep had softened the blow that Ghira felt regarding their relationship together. He really didn't want to disturb the peaceful slumber that the two were in but Kali instructed him to do so and he didn't have any choice but to follow.

So with the most quiet and gentle voice that he could muster up, he started to call the two of them and try to wake them up.

"Blake, Sun. It's time for breakfast" Ghira said in a hush tone.

"Come on guys, It's time to wake up" he repeated once again.

He could see that Blake's ears were twitching which meant that she picked up the sounds that he produced although sparingly. So he got an idea and he made his way to the slightly opened door and he knocked on it three times in an even pace in order to alert them of his presence. It seemed that his idea worked as Blake let out a loud yawn and she opened her eyes slowly. Sun was also successful in waking up and his eyes slowly started to adjust to the dim lighting of the room.

Ghira immediately addressed them in order to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings and to affirm the gentle impression that he wanted to make.

"Come on Blake, your mother is already cooking and told me to wake you up. So just freshen up a bit and make your way downstairs"

Ghira thought that he was friendly with his tone and that he had actually done a good job in terms of sounding more calm, but he was only met with Sun and Blake's wide eyes and their faces that looked dumbfounded as to what was going on.

"What, is there something wrong?" Ghira asked.

"No not really, It's just that, where's the loud screaming, the harsh knocking, the huge scowl on the face, are you feeling well?" Blake replied.

"So you prefer me being that way?"

"Of course not, just feels weird. I appreciate it though"

"Just hurry up and head downstairs, wouldn't want to keep the food waiting"

That was the last remark that Ghira had said and he went out of the room in order to leave Blake and Sun to their own business. He could only hope that they would head downstairs without any fuss happening between them.

Her father's loud footsteps had echoed throughout the hallway and both she and Sun could still hear them until they got fainter and fainter as he walked down the stairwell. The two of them still paused for a while as they tried to digest the somehow weird happening they just experienced. Blake's father actually tried to be nice for once even when the two of them were in such an intimate position.

Sun broke the silence as he spoke with Blake in an effort to get things moving and prepare for breakfast themselves.

"Well, that just happened"

"Yeah, for once dad actually tried to be polite when waking us up"

"We have been doing this for a week now, how does it feel sleeping and waking up to this face" Sun asked jokingly.

"Feels great. Honestly, can feel a little bit more romantic" Blake replied back.

A small blush crept across Sun's face but he just chose to dismiss it in order for them to not get distracted. He tried to reply the best that he can without sounding anymore dazed than he already was.

"Hey I can be more romantic. Besides, I don't want to rush into things"

"I know I know. I'm just joking" She replied back with a teasing smile.

Blake gave Sun a quick peck on the lips in order to compensate for her earlier remark. Sun gladly accepted it and they finally stood from the bed and decided to pick their clothes for the day. As expected, Sun chose his signature shorts and shirt that he had as they felt the most comfortable to him. It was also an easier decision to make as they were freshly washed by Kali and its scent was largely overpowered by many floral scents.

While on the other hand, Blake made an unorthodox choice and instead took something from the clothing that she bought in the market earlier that week. Blake picked up the black tank top that she had been dying to try out in this weather and she made the choice to try it out today. She had also chosen a pair of shorts over the pants that she usually wore as she wanted to see how the two felt under the heat that she was already starting to feel.

Her new nightgown was still on as she held the two pieces of clothing that she wanted to wear for the day. Blake started to remove the knot that held it in its place. But as she did, she saw in the corner of her eye that Sun had frozen in place with wide eyes and trying his hardest to not be embarrassed.

"Umm, are you sure that you don't want to change in the bathroom?" Sun asked her nervously.

"Just turn around if you want to. It's not like I'll take forever or anything"

"Fine fine. Just make it quick, your parents are waiting for us after all" he replied back

Sun turned around in a split second and Blake was finally able to change her clothes in peace. She had removed the nightgown that she wore and all that was left of her clothing was the matching underwear that she also bought in the market. Blake threw the nightgown towards the bed and decided to fold it up neatly before doing so. She saw that Sun was still turned around while tapping his foot as he impatiently waited for her to be done.

This made Blake smile as it amused her knowing that Sun was still as carefree as he always was. Even after the week that they had being officially together. The happy memories that she had accumulated over the course of the past days were so overwhelming and plentiful that it managed to bury the nightmares that she had faced together with him and she started towards the path of moving on.

And as she remembered this, Blake had noticed the scars on her right thigh and one near the left side of her chest. She remembered that faithful day where she almost died by Adam's hand and those scars were a reminder of the mistakes that she had made in the past. But she barely felt anymore pain whenever she remembered those cursed memories as the people that she loved and cared for were there in order to help her forget the pain.

All that she could do was smile while looking at those scars and the only thing that worried her is the fact that they stained her pristine white skin. She finally got the tank top that she wanted to wear and she slid it on in an instant. It fit her perfectly and she was already able to notice the difference in comfortability that it offered compared to the huge coat and top that she wore on a regular basis. However, Blake was quite sceptical on whether she should try out the pair of shorts that she had. She knew that they would be more comfortable than wearing the pants that she was used to but there was one factor that she was on the fence about.

Its length wasn't something that she was really a big fan of. It only reached about half of her thighs and she had never wore something that showed a lot of her curves for people to see. But since it was their last day in Menagerie before they left, She and Sun agreed that they could take a day off and spend the rest of their day inside of the house and just relax. After all, this day would also probably be the last taste that they would ever have of a normal life.

And just like that, Blake thought screw it and just try something new for once and maybe she'll actually like it. She put both of her legs inside and she slowly dragged it up her legs and secured it in place with the button it had. Blake immediately regretted the times when she stubbornly tried to survive under the heat of the sun with all of the tight and bulky clothes that she wore.

Blake felt about ten times more comfortable in this outfit as it exposed more of her skin so that the heat wouldn't have such an adverse affect to her. She could now feel the subtle breeze that was blowing throughout the house and it was a welcome addition to her day knowing that it would be hot as usual.

After she finally finished putting her clothes on, Blake calls Sun's attention in order for him to be able to turn around after about a minute of waiting.

"I'm done. You can turn around now"

"Finally. I thought that you would never..."

"Finish" He continued.

Sun paused before he could utter another word as his jaw dropped and his blush grew ever so furiously as he saw the outfit that Blake had put together. It certainly looked more casual than her usual apparel, but it also looked all the more racy as it made Blake's curves pop out and Sun tried to remain calm even though he wanted to explode inside.

"What's wrong, cat got your tongue?" Blake asked Sun while she let out a small laugh.

"No the cat doesn't have my tongue. It's what she's wearing"

"Why, doesn't it look good?"

"Of course it does! You don't even have to ask that. But couldn't you have wore something that covered you up a little bit more"

"Relax Sun. We're staying in remember? So you're the only guy who's going to see me like this"

"That doesn't make it that much better you know"

"I can change if you want to"

"If you want to wear it, then wear it. You look great anyway so what's the point in changing"

Blake blushed a little bit because of Sun's compliment and she walked closer to him and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. Sun smiled while Blake did this and he returned the favor by hugging her back and gave her a big kiss on the lips which Blake also accepted and returned fully.

This little exchange had lasted longer than it should have as they enjoyed the feeling that they gave each other as they continued to wrap their lips together. But Blake's father was growing impatient and he also felt that the two of them were up to no good.

While they were still in the middle of their small makeout session, Ghira's bellowing voice had echoed throughout the house and they could audibly hear it from inside the room.

"If the two of you don't stop doing unspeakable things I will pry you off of each other with my bare hands!"

His loud voice had managed to shock both Blake and Sun out of their intimate moment and that made them filled with panic as Ghira would actually make do with his promise if he was provoked enough.

"Whoops" Sun said out loud.

"I guess we got carried away. Let's head downstairs before he actually goes on a rampage again"

"Agreed"

The two of them rushed out towards the hallway and made their way downstairs in a brisk pace. Breakfast was most certainly ready according to both of their noses. Kali always had a knack for showing off and it most certainly showed with her cooking. The vast aromas that flooded their senses had manage to increase their appetite rapidly and that made their pace all the more faster knowing that a delicious meal would greet them downstairs.

As they get closer and closer to their destination, Blake and Sun's sense of smell got bombarded more and more by the food that was readily awaiting them. The two of them were starting to get overwhelmed by the food that they were smelling that Blake's stomach had suddenly rumbled out of nowhere and that made them pause in order to acknowledge it.

"Your mom's cooking really has a soft spot in the two of us"

"Yep, I'm getting hungry just by smelling it. Obviously from what just happened with my stomach"

"Come on then. We're almost there"

With that small disturbance dealt with, they finally reach the dining room that was the setting for their breakfast and their eyes had already focused on the large amount of food in the table.

Besides the fried fish that Blake had already set her attention to, the spread also featured some grilled chicken seasoned perfectly by a few spices which triggered the huge aroma bomb that Sun and Blake had smelled even when they were still upstairs.

Kali was busy setting up the table with utensils and plates for all of them to use while Ghira already sat on one side of the table as he sipped the mug of coffee that he had in his right hand. Kali noticed that the two of them had joined them in the dining room and greeted them good morning.

"The two of you finally decide to join us huh?"

"Good morning too mom" Blake replied.

"Good morning to you too Mrs. B" Sun followed.

"This your last day in here so you better start it off right. That's the reason why I prepared this special little meal for you guys"

"Every meal is special to us mom" Blake told her

"Oh you, stop it with the compliments. And speaking of compliments, you look good in that outfit. You should wear it more"

Kali had noticed that Blake wasn't wearing her usual modest clothes and instead was wearing a more revealing and casual outfit that she never really thought that Blake would try out. She certainly thought that it looked good on her and she assumed that it was partly to impress Sun which was a really easy thing to do as much as she wouldn't like to admit.

But as soon as Ghira had heard that Blake was wearing something new, his eyes instantly darted up from the newspaper that he was reading and his curiosity instantly reached its peak. He wanted to see the outfit that Kali complimented her for and wanted to see it for himself. But as soon as his eyes caught glimpse of the short length of Blake's shorts, Ghira's gag reflex immediately sprung into action and it made him spit out the hot coffee that he had in his mouth.

The hot liquid had landed on the table and it started to flow down to his clothes. He could feel his skin burning as the coffee singed him. But he couldn't pay attention to it because all of his focus was directed towards Blake who was now laughing a little bit from seeing her father's reaction.

"Blake! Couldn't you have worn something more decent?" Ghira growled.

"It's so hot. I don't want to spend my last day in here all sweaty and stuff" She replied back.

Ghira directed his gaze towards Sun who also looked at him with a look of confusion and nervousness. He wanted to ask why Blake was wearing clothes like this and he was certainly going to get an answer out of him.

"Are you the reason why she's wearing this?"

Sun shook his head furiously and waved his hands right in front of him in order to deny any accusations that Ghira would throw at him.

"I told her the same thing. But she really wanted to wear that, so what could I do" Sun told Ghira.

Blake looked at Sun with eyes that told him that he was in big trouble. Sun knew her well enough to know that she was willing to be brutally honest in order to fool around or to get you in big big trouble. And right at that moment when he saw the grin that creeped along her face, he knew that she was about to say something that will cost him his life or his dignity.

"Well you didn't complain while we were making out upstairs" Blake said out loud with conviction and with the obvious goal to let everyone in the room hear her statement.

The sound of a mug breaking and a plate shattering came next as Ghira could be seen shaking with a blank stare in his face and his fist closed together. While on the other hand , Kali tried to contain the excitement that was pumping through her as she completely let go of the plate that she was going to put in the table. Her lips were stretched ear to ear and a small squeal was slowly coming out of her but she tried her best to suppress it.

Sun looked at Blake with his jaw dropped and with an expression of massive embarrassment as Blake just freely threw out any sense of privacy in the moment that they shared earlier and revealed it right in front of her parents just to spite him. And judging by the massive grin that she had in her face, Blake had another victory against him and her parents.

"You're just trying to get me killed aren't you?"

"Not really. Just trying to have a little fun"

"Making me face your father's bad side is your idea of fun?"

"I'm just joking around. Do you prefer the dark and brooding Blake or this Blake?"

"Fine fine, just don't get carried away okay"

"Promise" Blake replied with a small giggle.

Sun was finally able to let out a sigh of relief as that situation was finally dealt with. Ghira had slowly returned back to normal and he finally loosened the grip on his fist and was wiping away the coffee that had stained his clothes. Kali had also settled down and she tried to pick up the leftover fragments of the plate that she had dropped.

Thing were finally back to normal and Sun thought that they were in the clear as all of the commotion was finally defused and they could finally eat in peace. He made his way towards the two available seats in the table across from Kali and Ghira and he decided to take the seat on the left and give Blake the right side.

He knew that Blake was slowly following his lead from behind but her movements were so nimble that he never really got a good read on how she moved. So one could imagine the look of pure shock on Sun's face as he felt the warm and moist sensation of Blake's lips on his left cheek that prevented him from moving towards his seat.

It was only meant to be a small gesture that Blake wanted to give him but it most certainly did not look that way to the eyes of Kali. The high-pitched sound of Kali's shriek had invaded the eardrums of Blake, Sun, and Ghira and it was so loud that they had to cover their ears in order to regulate the volume of noise that they heard from Kali.

She jittered excitedly from her seat and Ghira sighed out loud because of Kali's sudden outburst. Blake and Sun just let out a small laugh in response to her reaction. They both find their assigned seats together in the table and they were finally able to sit down and take in the meal that was in front of them.

"You two just look so cute together. I can't contain myself!" Kali mused.

"It's okay mom. But next time, try and lower your voice a little bit?"

"I can't make any promises. Especially because the two of you are leaving tomorrow. I need to make the most out of seeing you together"

"You are their biggest fan, aren't you dear?" Ghira told Kali.

"What if I am? You're just jealous that you're not the only man in Blake's life now" She shot back.

Blake could feel that there would be another impending argument if this little exchange between her father and mother continued. So she decided to step in so that things won't get heated between the two of them and to finally fill up the gaping hole that was inside her stomach.

"Guys, are you just going to fight again or are we going to eat?" Blake asked them.

"She's right, we have better things to do than bicker like an old married couple" Ghira replied.

"I think that you're forgetting that we are an old married couple"

An awkward pause had inserted itself within their conversation because of the hilarious truth that Kali had just reminded Ghira of. But only after a few seconds of them staring blankly at each other, both Sun and Blake had exploded into laughter and Kali and Ghira also followed. They all laughed until their bellies had started to hurt and their laughter had slowly started to die down.

"Come on, we've stalled for long enough. Dig in so we can finally get breakfast over with" Kali ordered.

All of them nodded their heads in agreement and the only thing that could be heard within the dining room was the clinking of glasses and the rattling of utensils as each and every one of them started to enjoy the chicken and fish that Kali had masterfully prepared.

It took them roughly 30-minutes to completely devour every morsel of the food that they shared together on the table. Ghira still hankered for a few more bites but there was no more food available for him so he just decided to be content with the hearty meal that he had. In the meantime, Kali, Sun, and Blake were fully satisfied with the food that they had eaten. Blake felt that she may have overeaten a little bit since her stomach felt bloated and heavy as she sat there.

Kali wiped her lips with the napkin that she had in order to clear out any crumbs that came from the meal. And Sun just laid there relaxed as he felt renewed and energized for the day.

"So Blakey, what do you plan on doing today?" Sun asked Blake

"Well we did decide that we should stay in so we could relax. I'll probably stay in the office room and lessen all of the books that I haven't finished yet since we went to the market"

"I'll join you then. I won't do much reading as you, but it'll be nice to just lay down and chill for a while"

"You sure you won't get bored?"

"I'll find a way to make things interesting"

Ghira, cleared his throat with a rough texture which was meant to attract Sun's attention. He opened his mouth and wanted to have a say in the conversation that Blake and Sun were in.

"Not _too_ interesting. Isn't that right Sun?"

"I didn't mean it in that way sir!"

"I'm just making sure"

A wave of nervousness had washed up through Sun's whole body under the pressure that Ghira had put him under. It was hard for him to speak his mind since Ghira would usually take things in a rather misguided way and he needed to be more extra careful with what he says out loud.

Good thing that Kali was there to get him out of situations like this since she was on his side. And she spared no expense when lecturing Ghira about how he should be more friendly and less uptight towards him.

"Come on honey, give him a break. This is the last day we're going to see them for a long time. So just suck it up, okay?" Kali asked her husband.

"Fine fine. Just keep it modest, okay Blake, Sun" He told the two.

"Of course dad. I just want to read after all. So can we go upstairs now?" Blake replied.

Both Kali and Ghira nodded their heads and approved her request for her and Sun to make their way towards the office room that Blake wanted to read in. They both excuse themselves from their presence and they made their way upstairs while the two of them held their hands together.

The older couple continued to watch them climb the stairs until they were no longer in sight. The dining room had become more quieter since their exit and that made a hollow feeling blossom within the two of them. Blake had only spent a few weeks in Menagerie and it made them sad to know that she was already leaving that quickly.

"She grew up so fast, didn't she" Kali blurted out.

"Too fast for my taste"

"She's also changed so much too. No longer timid and shy, she's more outgoing than ever"

"I just wish that she could stay longer" Kali added.

"It's what she wants dear, we have to let her go"

Ghira had noticed that Kali had become gloomy because of the thoughts of Blake leaving crossing her mind. He tried to console her by placing his hand on her back and rubbing it back and forth. These were little things that one could do in order to comfort someone. But sometimes these little things were enough to spring a person back up from a swelling sadness.

And Ghira did just that as Kali reciprocated his actions and placed her hand on top of his. A small smile had returned to her face and Ghira knew that she was back to her old self.

"Well these dishes aren't going to clean themselves" Kali said with a more upbeat tone.

"Right on it"

Kali's emotions had finally settled down and the slight tension that started build between the two of them earlier had finally ceased to exist. The old couple stood up from their seats and picked up the used plates and utensils that they had used and they simultaneously carried it over to the sink where they would start their routine of cleaning after their meal.

* * *

The warm aura of the sun had seemed more comforting than a nuisance because of the open space that the small office room had. All of the sliding doors were open in order to let the morning breeze in and that made the room well ventilated and cooler than usual.

A large stack of books had piled up in the coffee table that was in the center of the room. Blake had every intention of shaving off a large majority of the books that they had purchased in the market and for her, it was more of a delight rather than a chore than most people would perceive.

She laid down on the large couch that faced the coffee table and her head was placed on Sun's legs as he propped them out in order for Blake to become more comfortable. Blake was completely in her element and all of her stress had come out of her body as she enjoyed the books that she plopped down with, the cool air that was scarce at these times, and the warm and comforting presence that Sun had provided her for being there.

The whole room was quiet except for the sounds that her book would make when she would flip the pages. She thought that Sun would become easily bored by the mellow scene that they were in. But much to her surprise, he just kept quiet as he rested his eyes and placed his left hand on her belly.

But she knew that this silence wouldn't last that long. And as always, she was right. But not in the way she expected as Sun asked her a question that compelled her to answer and was just straight up her alley.

"What's the story about?" Sun asked her.

"Wow, I can't believe that your actually interested in a book"

"Hey I'm the one you dragged along in here just to keep you company. So can you at least humor me"

"Well the story is about an adventurer that wanted to travel the whole world. And as he did, he encountered both friends and foes that made his journey all the more interesting. But the thing that makes it the most interesting is that the main character has an inner struggle within himself and makes the character more unique and interesting" Blake replied intelligently.

"And they say that cute girls can't be nerds" teased Sun.

"Haha very funny. You're the one missing out on all the fun. Just try and read one and maybe you'll like it"

"I don't want to sleep on you so I'll pass on that. I can find some way to make myself amused"

"Suit yourself"

That ended their small conversation and Blake returned to reading and Sun just minded his own business to give Blake some peace and quiet.

After a few minutes of more silence, Sun had started to make the most miniscule of things and amplified them just to keep himself busy and to keep himself still as to not disturb Blake from her reading. He tried to count how many pages that Blake would turn in a minute and he tried to analyze if there was any pattern or rhythm on how she read. But after a few attempts, he decided that it was meaningless and just decided to stop as to not needlessly tire out his brain.

The only other thing that Sun could think of in order to pass the time was to try and rub Blake's fluffy cat ears. He knew that it was something that Blake liked secretly and there was no debating that he loved doing it to her as much as he could. He knew that he could pass the time this way so he took his right hand and he slowly placed it against her right ear and gently gave it a small massage.

Sun knew that he was doing something right as Blake let out a small yaw of approval as soon as he started rubbing her ears. His pace was slow and delicate as Sun made it his priority to not hurt Blake in any way. He just wanted to contribute to the relaxation that she revelled in and by the looks of it, he was doing a good job.

He started to mix things up as Sun also took his left hand and simultaneously massaged Blake's fluffy ears. They felt so comfortable and warm to Sun's hands that he just couldn't help but to be more graceful with his movements as he continued to massage Blake in this part of her.

But as he continued, he started to notice that Blake had started to show small signs that she was enjoying this more so than he thought. The beating of her heart had started to become more rapid but not too much as it maintained its subtleness. She also started to twitch a little bit and her reading had slowed down a little bit upon observation.

With these signs that Sun was presented with, he knew that Blake felt good with what he was doing and just continued to do so as he wanted to make her all the more relaxed with their current position. If he were given the opportunity, he would massage her like this all the time and this was something that he would do much more in the future.

Sun thought that he was doing a good job and he wanted to continue with what he was doing. But all of his actions had suddenly come into a halt as Blake let out a loud moan of pleasure that she hadn't meant to make. That made his heart skip along with hers and Blake was now red as a tomato under the embarrassing act that she had committed. She couldn't believe what she had just done and she completely buried her face under the book that she was reading in order to hide her embarrassment.

On the other hand, Sun was as rigid as a rock as he didn't know how to continue after what had just happened. He didn't know whether or not he should continue or not but he thought that with Blake's nature and the complete surprise that was her moan, she would decline his offer to continue any further.

In order to relieve some of the awkwardness between them, Sun spoke out loud in order to get some kind of validation from Blake and to see how she was doing after that small little mishap of hers.

"Well that certainly made you relax. Maybe even a little too much" Sun teased.

Blake was still hid under the cover of her book as she really didn't want to let Sun see how ashamed she was after that loud moan of hers. She knew that her ears were sensitive to touch but not to that degree. But she couldn't deny that the sensation that Sun's massage gave to her was amazing and she wanted to experience it more while she read. She just wished that she could control herself and not make another scene with her awkward moans.

"I didn't tell you to stop" She told Sun nervously.

This sentence made a small smile appear on Sun's face. Even under her embarrassment, Blake still pressed him to continue with his massages and he was more than happy to do so. Sun just reminded himself to hold back a little bit in order to avoid any more accidents like that.

While Blake still continued to hide her crimson face, she felt the familiar sensation of Sun's hands going through her ears and her body was once again filled with a relaxing sensation that eased her back into her normal self. She removed the book that obscured her face and it revealed Sun with a small smile on his face, completely dedicated in playing with her ears. And even if he didn't tell her, she knew that he enjoyed it as much as she did.

Blake resumed reading her book and her earlier confidence had finally gone back to normal and she felt completely fine once again, part from the fact that she felt even better because of the slow and elegant movements that Sun had while he caressed her ears.

The silence that the room possessed earlier had once again returned as each one of them minded their own business and just went on with what they were doing. Blake was reaching the climax of the story that she was reading and she couldn't contain the smile that was on her face as the story gets more and more exciting. Moments like this within a book was the main reason why she loved reading as it made her blood rush and she loved all of the emotions that they gave her despite them being just a big wall of text.

As Blake was completely entranced with the book that she was reading, Sun still continued his act of playing with Blake's ears and his smile was still plastered all along his face. But getting to hold Blake's ears for an extended period of time wasn't the only thing that made him happy at that time. It was true that silence really did make a person reflect better as it made his mind look back on the events that led up to this moment.

The things that he and Blake had experienced can be nothing more than bitter sweet. They encountered many challenges including that one night where they almost broke each other with a hate fuelled argument. And that was only the tip of the iceberg, as Blake faced one of her deepest and darkest nightmares and he was the one who needed to step in in order to save her.

But those things were not without merit as things came to be better than expected after the ordeals that they had conquered. Blake became closer to her parents and she got to experience the lost time that they had never shared together. She got to feel loved and love her parents after the long time that she spent away from their embrace.

And the one thing that the two of them would never expect to happen was the loving relationship that they had managed to forge after the strong bond that they had together. Sun was thankful that he was able to show his true feelings for Blake after he buried it within himself for a very long time. But what made it all the more sweeter was the fact that Blake had also shared the same feelings of attraction for him. It may have taken some time for her to realize it, but he held Sun dearly within her heart and it just took a push in order for her to acknowledge them.

"You've changed" Sun blurted out of the blue.

Blake had immediately picked up on what Sun had to say and she suddenly closed the book that she was reading and paid attention to the peculiar phrase that Sun had said.

"Um, excuse me?"

"I don't mean it in a bad way. I'm just saying that you have come so far from the person that you were"

She continued to be silent in order to let Sun speak and complete the whole thought that he wanted to say to Blake.

"You may not notice it, but you're no longer the shy and emo person that you once were. You laugh more, you joke around often, you're more comfortable sharing your feelings and it actually feels like you are genuinely connected with the people who care about you"

"We may have gone through hell and back together, but I can't say that it wasn't worth it. Because seeing you like this, when you're happy and smiling all the time. It reminds me that an arm and a few bruises are worth to see you finally moving on" He finished.

It mystified Blake sometimes on how a person like Sun could speak so fruitfully and close to the heart just by judging his personality and how he acted. He was amazing with how he used words and they would always strike a chord within her heart every time that Sun would say something about how he felt and his feelings towards her. The endearing words that he had told her had managed to make her drop the book that she was in the middle of reading and sit upright next to him.

All that Blake could think of in order to give back the words that Sun had given her was to get closer to him and wrap him in a massive embrace that was filled with all of the love and care that she had for him. Blake acknowledged the fact that she owed Sun a lot. He was the reason why she was still there and was able to be with her family and continue her passion for reading. He was the reason why she broke out of her shell and express more of herself to her parents and even the feelings that she had for Sun that she never knew that she had.

And the most important thing that Sun had given her was the opportunity to start anew. Because of him, she was able to break free from the shackles that Adam had bound her. She was now able to set things right after the past that she had now left behind.

She started to cry under these thoughts as different feelings had started to flood her heart and her mind. Thankfulness and love went above all of the pain that was left inside of her and during these moments, she could feel that her wounds had already healed and all of the pain had finally left her.

Sun also wrapped Blake in his arms as he wanted for the two of them to be equal in the sentiment that they wanted to give each other. He had noticed that his shoulder had started to feel wet and the only thing that he could attribute it to was the fact that Blake's tears had pooled on his shoulders.

"Hey I don't want to make your eyes water. You need to keep on reading so just relax, okay?"

Blake pulled her face away from Sun's shoulders and she wiped away the tears that had streamed down her face and faced him with a smile.

"You surprise me sometimes, do you know that"

"Why so ?" Sun asked.

"Because for a dork like you, you can say some things that just makes me fall in love with you even more"

What Blake had just said had managed to make Sun's face flush red and she immediately noticed this change in his face and it looked adorable for her to see him like that. She made a small giggle because of her amusement with Sun being flustered.

Sun always had a soft spot for Blake's cute little giggles and it turned his entire body numb as his ears were rewarded with the gracious high pitched sound of her voice. Their emotions had accumulated once again and they knew that they couldn't contain it within themselves if they ignored this pull to show their affection. To quench this pull, Blake and Sun pulled each other in order for their lips to meet and they engaged in another kiss that they would share.

These moments started to get more and more frequent between the two of them but it didn't deter from it being special between the two of them. It was just them making up for the lost time that they had and none of them considered it as a nuisance or a mandatory thing to do. As a matter of fact, it was a special little treat that they would treasure for the rest of the day.

After a few more seconds of their lips being locked together, they finally became content and released each other with their smiles bigger than ever.

"So, can I get back to reading now?'

"Definitely. But can I rest my eyes for a bit"

"Sure why not. Just don't leave my side okay?"

"Of course. Wouldn't want you to feel alone"

Satisfied with the conditions that they set for each other, Blake had retracted to the earlier position that she was in as she once again laid her head on Sun's lap and reopened her book back to the page where she last read. Sun on the otherhand, decided to get some rest for the afternoon and he decided to doze off just a little in order to regain his strength and to reserve some energy to get back and massage Blake's ears later on.

* * *

The books that Blake had on her side had managed to cast a spell on her mind as she completely got enchanted by the stories that she was reading. Many hours had already passed but her mind had not put much effort in noticing the lost time that her reading had caused. It had already started to approach night time and Blake still laid down on Sun's lap as she started to finish her third book.

Sun had woken up as soon as she started reading the second book that she had and he accompanied her ever since he woke up. He continued to make small talk with Blake that would break her concentration from the story but it never really took away from the experience that she had. She treated the conversations that Sun would strike with her as a form of support. Sun knew that Blake hated the feeling of being alone and it was his way of telling her that she wasn't.

The second book that she had finished was in the mystery genre. It involved a detective that would solve crimes all across Remnant and the whole book was about all of the cases that he had solved which were all connected to one main antagonist.

The book had managed to provide entertainment not only to Blake but also for Sun. They took turns guessing how a case would get solved and they both bit their nails as they approached the gut wrenching conclusion of the whole story. Suffice to say, the two of them enjoyed that one and Blake made a mental note to herself to get more books were Sun would also get involved with.

The final book that she had started to read was more mellow than the previous two that she had finished and it was a feel good story about how a girl tries to fulfil her most wildest dreams and the friends that she had made along her journey. It was a light hearted fantasy story that drew her attention as the main plot was simple but it made her feel happy just by reading the experiences that the small girl had that was written in the book.

Blake didn't notice it, but the sky was already dark and the light around the room had became scarce as the only light source that lighted the room was the rays of moonlight that pierced through the open sliding doors that the office room had.

She didn't have much trouble in reading though, because her night vision had made it easier for her to read in the dark and she paid no mind to the darkness that surrounded them. Sun also didn't have much problem in seeing but the comforting dimness of the room had made his consciousness relax and he realized that he started to drift off once again. Although he wanted to fight this feeling in order to accompany Blake.

"So, what do you think will happen?" Sun asked Blake.

"Well it's a big day tomorrow. We're finally heading off to Mistral and the only way we can find out is if we go there"

"I just hope that Neptune got the letter that I sent him earlier this week. We need their help in order to find information on the rest of your team"

Sun's mention of Blake's teammates had managed to pull her mind back into a question that she wanted to be answered but at the same time, scared to know the truth. She didn't know what they thought of her but all she knew was that she needed to see them badly. In order to make amends and to get to experience being with her second family once again.

"Hey Sun, can I ask you about something"

"What is it?"

"Do you think that Ruby and the others hate me"

He was surprised with the question that Blake had asked him. She slowly closed the book that she was done reading and looked him directly in the eyes as she lay on his lap. Blake's eyes had told him that she needed an answer and there was no doubt that he needed to give her one for her to get some closure for the night.

Sun breathed a heavy sigh as he tried to come up with an answer that would lift her spirits and was based on his experience and thoughts with the bond that team RWBY had shared.

"To be honest, I think that they don't. All that they want for you is to be safe and to know that you care for them . If they realize that you made your way all the way to Mistral just to see them again, they'll welcome you with open arms.

"But that's not to say that it will be easy. You leaving may have caused a few wounds here and there, but it's nothing that you can't heal"

"Then what about Yang?" She interjected.

A heavy silence had suddenly flooded the room as soon as Blake bought up Yang. The subject of the bright blonde had been a sensitive topic for the two of them for varying reasons. But Blake wanted his opinion on the matter and he was obligated to give her an answer.

Sun knew full well about the close relationship that Yang and Blake had. If they were given enough time to bond together, he knew a hundred percent that they would end up being together. But with Blake leaving and Yang losing a part of her, it was no question that there would be a hole between their relationship that would be hard to fill.

He didn't know how broken Yang was after the Fall of beacon. But he knew her well enough to know that she was strong and she would eventually surpass the wounds that she accumulated. And with him knowing that, Sun came up with an honest answer but would surely make things awkward between him and Blake.

"Are you really sure that you want to hear my say in this?"

"Of course. I want to hear it from you"

"Well do you mind if I answer honestly"

"Just tell me, do you think she hates me?"

Blake could feel that Sun had started to get nervous as she felt that his heartbeat got faster and that his hands had started to sweat. Even under the darkness of the room, she could also see his eyes which started to drop. After she waited for a few more seconds for Sun's answer, he heaved a large breath in order to calm himself down and braced himself in order to tell her his answer properly.

"Well Blake, it's no secret that Yang loves you and that you love her too. And I don't have anything bad against it and right now, that doesn't matter. I know that she doesn't hate you but I do know that she is hurting. And with all that hurt that's in her heart right now, the only person that she needs to see is you Blake"

"You need to step up and stop her from hurting. Remember, she doesn't hate you. In fact, she needs you for her to feel better"

Sun expected some sort of reaction from Blake or at least an attempt to argue with him regarding the answer that he gave. He stared directly right into her face and the moonlight revealed her beautiful face that had nothing but a smile on it.

Blake was content with the answer that Sun had given her. She knew that what he said what right. All that she needed to know was that she needed to see Yang. To let her know that she hadn't abandoned her and that she would be there for her in order to get through the pain that she had caused Yang in the first place.

She couldn't imagine how hard it was for Sun to say what he just said out loud. Her relationship and feelings for Yang would certainly make things complicated between the two of them. And Sun even acknowledged and validated this through his answer. She wanted to know how Sun felt towards this matter but she was considerate and she didn't want to put him in any more pressure than he already was.

"Thanks Sun. For believing in me and believing in Yang"

"Don't worry. Things will be fine in the end. We've already gone through so much bad things, and the only thing that's waiting for us is all the good that we deserve"

This made Blake smile once again, as she knew that Sun was still positive as he always was and that he didn't lose this one factor that she loved so much about him.

All of the emotional talk that they had gone through and with the strenuous work that Blake endured with all of the books that she had read had managed to make her more drowsy and she could feel that her eyes got heavier and heavier.

Sun also noticed this and he in fact also got sleepy since it was already dark and it was already late into the night. They did have a large journey to start tomorrow and they needed to prepare as soon as possible in order to catch the ship that would take them to Mistral at about noon that morning.

He was already in the mood to sleep and he wanted to ask Blake whether or not she wanted to go to bed already. But before he could ask this query of his, Blake let out a loud yawn that meant that she was already on board with the idea of sleep.

"Hey it's getting late already and we do need to wake up early for tomorrow. Is it okay for you if we head straight into bed already?" Sun asked drowsily.

"I don't mind. I do want to get as much sleep as possible for tomorrow. We have a big day ahead of us Sun"

"Yes we do. So, should we get back to the room?"

In response to the question that Sun had asked, Blake looked around the room while she lay on his lap and she surveyed the area meticulously for reasons that Sun didn't know of. Satisfied with her surroundings and the atmosphere that the room had, she made a lazy decision and decided to just sleep in there.

"Well if you don't mind, we can just sleep in here you know. It's pretty cold and dim so there's no doubt that we'll get to sleep here pretty easily"

"As much as I like to agree with you, this couch isn't really built for two people to lay down on it"

"If it doesn't bother you or anything, I can just sleep right on top of you"

An awkward silence had managed to come between the two of them but it was nothing serious since it only involved the small proposition that Blake had offered. Their faces were equally red at that point but Sun decided that they did sleep together and even embraced each other as they slept. It was basically the same thing, only that Blake would purely just be on top of him and the amount of physical contact that would transpire between the two of them would be the highest as of that time.

"It's our last day in here and I think that we should make the most out of everything. So why the hell not"

Sun accepted the offer that Blake had given him and as he agreed, a small look of surprise had popped out of Blake's face. Although it was quickly replaced with feeling of content as the two of them started to prepare for the final night that they would share in Menagerie at least for now.

Blake removed her head from Sun's lap in order for him to be able to lay down flat on the couch that they planned to sleep on. He laid on it fully flat with his face staring the ceiling in order for Blake to make the most out of his body to sleep in. With Sun as flat as a board while he laid on the couch, Blake cautiously positioned her whole body in order to be comfortably on top of Sun's body.

She positioned herself such that her chest was completely on top of Sun's and that her two hand had grabbed on his shoulders. Blake had wrapped him in a makeshift embrace and for her to feel the same warmth the he felt, Sun wrapped her with both of his arms and placed his two hands directly behind her back.

"I hope that I'm not crushing you to death" She asked.

"Not in the slightest. In fact, I'm enjoying this quite a bit"

"See, I told you"

The two of them broke into small giggles which died down as soon as it came live. The darkness that surrounded them had slowly eased them into unconsciousness. But before either one of them could pass out, they had managed to tell each other the last two words that they wanted to let each other hear.

"Good night Blake. I love you"

"I love you too Sun"

With those last words exchanged between the two of them, they drifted off into sleep with those words in their minds. Serving as a lullaby to guide them through the night.

* * *

 **First things first, I need to apologize.**

 **I haven't uploaded in like two weeks and I feel guilty about that since I don't have that much spare time to write and I'm not as efficient with writing these chapters in a day to day basis.**

 **School has been taxing since I need to wake up early and with that, sleeping early is also a must so that gravely affects the times I can write and how much ground I can cover in one day. And for that I'm really sorry and I know that I don't upload as often and that's something that I need to work on.**

 **I'm already working on the next chapter as we speak since I have a lot of work to do and I'm preparing myself to tackle the land of Mistral since there isn't much source material to work with and therefore I'll need to get some good ideas.**

 **And Secondly, I am happy to announce that the story has finally hit 4k views!**

 **I appreciate each and every one of you who take your time to sit down and read this story since it is my first one and I hope to make more in the future. The reviews are really uplifting since it gives me the ability to make the story better and to correct some mistakes that I have done in the past.**

 **I promise to see this through till the end and I hope that you will too.**

 **As always, reviews are appreciated and I thank you for reading this story. See you next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

The sky was still dark and the air as cold as it can be in Menagerie. It was very early into the morning and no one in their right mind would be awake at that time if they were given the choice and freedom to sleep. But Blake and Sun had to endure this burden as they both groggily woke up from their lacklustre sleep.

Blake rubbed her eyes as they were still blurry as she woke. Her eyes had finally adjusted and set themselves on Sun who had also waken up and had started to adjust to their dark surroundings and trying his best to recover from their lack of sleep.

"Good morning beautiful" Sun told her hazily.

"Good morning to you too"

"I hope you don't mind but can you get up now? You aren't exactly light you know"

"Oops, sorry"

She immediately carried her whole body and stood up from the position that she laid in and freed Sun from the confinement that he was in for allowing her to sleep on top of him. It was a nice gesture, but she was sure that he would regret that later as his body will feel the pressure that her body had put on him.

In order to start waking herself up, Blake did some stretches in order to get her blood rushing and to remove any more notions of sleep away from her mind. Sun also followed suit and did some stretches of his own.

They were awake this early since the ship that they needed to take would leave at noon and they had made little to no effort in preparing for their voyage. They just agreed that they would wake up early in order to prepare their belongings, but this decision had started to bite them back as the effects of their early awakening had started to grab hold of them.

"You know what, I'm starting to regret not packing up early" Sun said out loud.

"Yeah I do too. Maybe a nice shower can get us going"

"I like that idea. Some water can probably get the blood rushing"

"You know what would be better?"

"Not exactly"

"Do you want to shower together? I'm sure that will get your blood rushing"

Sun let out a large groan of annoyance but Blake could tell that his blood had already started to flow as his cheeks started to flush red. Messing with Sun definitely helped her in waking up and that made her morning a little bit more easier to handle by starting it with a smile on her face.

"You know it's too early for jokes like that"

"I know. But seeing that cute blush of yours makes waking up a lot easier"

"Haha, very funny" Sun blurted out sarcastically.

Blake felt a little bit bad about bothering Sun that early into the morning. She knew that he would be a bit more cranky and irritated than she was since Sun was used to waking up a little bit later than usual and he wasn't used to being awake at a time like this.

It may have been an awkward question to ask and it was something that Blake would only do just because of the drowsiness that she felt for waking up that early. Maybe the idea that she joked around with wasn't such a bad idea and that thought was the only thing that crossed her head at that time.

"Well if you want to, we can shower together. I don't really mind"

Along with Sun, Blake had also developed a blush on her face because of the small proposition that she asked Sun. It was her way of trying to make up for being an inconvenience to him earlier and in some way, she secretly wanted him to agree.

"I think you need to sleep again because you're actually losing your mind"

"Hey it's just a suggestion. And for your information, it also saves water"

"The water is not the only thing that needs saving if we ever did that"

Blake let out a small chuckle under the quirky joke that Sun had said. He was right in suggesting that she might have lost her mind because she would never suggest something like that if she wasn't that sleepy. In order to avoid anymore weird and inappropriate offers like that, Blake decided that she should take a shower first since she thought that the drowsiness that overtook that had more of an adverse effect on her rather than Sun.

"I think I should take a shower first. I don't know if I have the power to continue like this"

"Fine go ahead. I'll start to do some packing so we can get going as soon as possible" Sun replied.

With their tasks settled, Blake let out one last yawn and the two of them made their way out of the hallway and to each of their perspective rooms. Blake needed to prepare clothes and many more necessities for their journey and Sun also had to take care of some of his belongings.

The two of them tried to keep the noise of their footsteps as quiet as possible as both Kali and Ghira were still asleep. The thought of both of her parents cuddling together and sleeping on a comfortable bed had managed to make Blake jealous of the sleep that they continued to enjoy and she tried to shake it off her mind.

But even with the caution that they tried to put into their actions, the old floorboards of the house still squeaked but it was quiet enough to not cause a stir inside the house. Blake and Sun continued down the hall until they both caught sight of their individual rooms. Although they slept in Sun's room for most of the time during the week, Blake still had all of her things back at her room and that was where she was assigned to take a shower.

After a minute of walking, they finally reached the end of the hallway that contained their rooms. Blake headed over to her door and Sun over to his. They needed about an hour to completely pack their belongings and to freshen up before heading downstairs in time for breakfast that Blake's mother would prepare.

"Well here's my stop" Blake told Sun.

"I'll see you later kitty cat. After all, our stuff won't pack themselves up"

"I guess they won't. But I'm going to have a shower first"

"Suit yourself"

They nodded their heads together and they were ready to start the long and tedious process of tending to their belongings and making sure that everything was in order before their voyage. Sun had started to close the door that lead to his room but Blake made one more remark that sent a shiver down his spine.

"Hey I'm just throwing this out there, but my offer still stands if you want"

Because of what Blake had just said. Sun couldn't fight the urge to turn around and give her a stare filled with embarrassment and annoyance. And the small grin that she had on her face had just added to his irritation and he couldn't believe how good she was at embarrassing him just like that.

He knew that Blake was just joking around but these past couple of days, she had stolen his thunder when it came to making jokes and goofing around. So he decided to reclaim the throne for once and try to embarrass her back.

"You know what, maybe I'll take you up on that offer"

The look on Blake's face had satisfied Sun as her face was red and the cool and calm demeanour that she always possessed had slowly faltered as she turned into a jumble of words.

"I mean if you want to , I mean only if you want to because well you know this is my first time-"

She was cut short in the middle of her sentence by the hysterical laugh that had came out of Sun. He completely lost it and he was in the verge of tears as he laughed on how much Blake got derailed just by playing along with her own joke.

Blake was slightly annoyed that Sun had turned the tables on her and she shot him a look of disapproval. She was about to give him a piece of her mind and afterwards, finally take the shower that she wanted in order for her to relieve her drowsiness.

"That's not funny you know"

"Maybe for you. But I'm dying over here" He continued while bursting into small fits of laughter.

"Well consider your privileges of showering with me revoked"

"Aww man, as soon as I start considering it you take it away from me" Sun said jokingly once again.

"If you don't mind, can we actually get some actual work done now?" Blake remarked.

"Sure. We've wasted enough time"

With the small banter that the two were engaged with finally resolved, Blake headed over into her room and shut the door behind her. And as soon as she hear the door shut, Blake was finally able to catch a sigh of relief as she was finally free from the uncomfortable situation that Sun put her under.

That small encounter that she had with Sun had given her a lesson and that is to not get too cheeky with her jokes. She definitely suffered the consequences on that one and she made a mental note to be more careful on what she would say out loud.

But as soon as she thought that her mind can finally function properly and get on with the tasks at hand, she couldn't help but picture herself having a nice shower. And with that nice shower, came along Sun who accompanied her as she washed her entire body.

These thoughts had started to drive her insane as she couldn't imagine herself being in a situation like that. But then again, she thought that it would be nice and romantic if the two of them would ever do that.

Blake started to shaker her head in order to try and drive out these lewd thoughts of hers. She definitely regretted reading too much of her romance books and they had started to take effect on her which she assumed caused the thoughts that she was having.

The only way that she thought of in order to keep her mind blank again was to feel some hot water rushing down her body. She started to remove her clothes without a second thought since she ensured that the door was locked and that the whole room had given her a blanket of privacy to act more freely than she usually could.

With all of her clothes finally undressed, Blake got a towel from her closet and made her way inside the small bathroom that was incorporated in the corner of her room.

The bathroom that she had was plain white and with not much design. After all, it was a room meant for taking baths and solving some problems that needed the toilet. There was a shower outfitted into one side of the room with a sliding glass door that separated it from the side that had the toilet.

Blake placed the white towel that she had onto the sink in order to secure it for use later. She placed her hand on the glass door and slid it to the left in order to make her way inside.

She turned the knobs that the shower had in order to turn them on. And after a few seconds of doing so, Blake could hear the water flow through the pipes and before she knew it, hot water had started to pour down her body and it produced some steam that flooded the whole room.

The warm sensation that the warm water had left on her body had managed to release the tension that her body had and it made her let out a small moan that she was comfortable in making since she was all alone.

Blake started to wash her body all around in order to wake up her arms and her legs. She got her soap and started to scrub all along her curves in order to clean up and get a small scent on herself. The warm water had really done a number on her as she felt like staying inside the shower for a few more minutes even after she would be done with her bath.

She left the soap that she applied to her body to set for a while in order for her to get the full effect of the product. And as to not waste time, she picked up the spare bottle of shampoo that she had. The scent that it had was familiar but Blake couldn't point her finger on why she recognized its smell. She decided that the issue would continue to bother her if she didn't get to the bottom of it so she got the bottle and inspected it closely.

Her eyes widened as she finally realized why the odor smelled so familiar. The shampoo that she had was lilac scented and that thought alone had sent memories through her mind and that made her paralyzed for a few seconds.

Visions of Yang had once again surfaced within her but they were no longer the tragic memories that she had of her. All that was left for her to see was the time that they spent together and the single idea that she might be able to see her again with the risk that she wanted to take by heading to Mistral.

The fragrance of the shampoo had reminded her vividly of the beautiful lilac eyes that she always had while being accompanied by the bright smile that the blonde always had. The thought of Yang was once a source of pain that Blake had to endure. But because of the recent transformation that she underwent, her memory had only served as her driving force to move forward and reunite with the rest of her team.

Once her trip down memory lane was finally done, Blake took the bottle and squirted out a decent amount of shampoo on her right palm and she smiled as she applied it to her smooth black hair.

She let the hot water to continuously flow as she tried to wash the remnants of the soap and the shampoo that she used to tend to her body. Blake made sure that there were no more bubbles or anymore traces of the toiletries that she used and when she was sure that her whole body was cleansed, she closed the shower by turning the knobs back to its original position.

Water had dripped all along the bathroom floor and Blake had noticed it immediately. She hastily retrieved the towel that she prepared and dried herself with it.

Blake felt rejuvenated and energized as she exited her bathroom. She was finally ready for the rest of the morning and all that was left for her to do was to pack up. The two of them would be travelling that day so Blake deemed it necessary for her to wear her usual set of clothes. She definitely enjoyed her time with the new wardrobe that she had and she most certainly bought some of it for their stay at Mistral. But she felt like dressing a little bit more decent as to avoid unnecessary glares and unwanted attention from the people around them.

She took the top that she would always wear alongside her coat that made sure to cover up her body as much as possible. Blake also took her long black pants and with one fell swoop, she had put them on all at once as she was used to wear this combination after many times of dressing like that.

In order to pack her other belongings, she took a large backpack from her closet which was sizeable enough to contain days worth of clothes, a few snacks, and many more supplies. All of her clothes were neatly folded and placed on her bed and the supplies that she would need could be easily found downstairs and she decided to worry about them later.

Blake sat down on her bed and she started the meticulous process of organizing the clothes that she would bring in order to make things easier for her. As she started putting away her clothes and transferring them to her backpack, feelings of both trepidation and excitement had shot through her mind. Blake was excited to know that there was a chance for her to reunite with her friends and to patch things up with them. It was the only thing that she needed to do in order to move on from her past life and there would be no stopping her in this goal of hers.

But along with all of that positivity, a small hint of doubt can be traced within her mind. As much as she wanted to reconnect with the friends that she cherished, she didn't know how they would receive her if they were to ever meet again. Even with all of the faith that she put on her being forgiven by her team, there was always something in the back of her mind that caused her to doubt her chances.

The one thing that kept that doubt from overtaking her was Sun's own perspective on her situation. The wounds that she may have caused for leaving may still leave a mark on her teammates and there would be a lot of work to be done for her to regain their trust back. But he was sure that they would still accept Blake despite the wrongdoings that she had done in the past.

That single thought was all that she needed in order for her to focus on packing her things up and that made her work two times more faster as she carried out this task. There was no turning back now and there was no way in hell that she would ever run again.

The quick shower that he took had made Sun's morning a little bit more bearable since his drowsiness had finally worn off because of the heat that his body experienced through his hot shower. There was nothing much for him to pack since he only had a few set of clothes which consisted of his favorite button up shirt, a few sets of shorts and some spare t-shirts for him to wear at night along with some underwear.

They were easy enough to pack and he was done storing his clothes inside his own backpack within just a minute. His main concern was the two weapons that he would need to carry as they travelled by boat. his personal staff was easy enough to carry since it could be retracted and fit within his pockets very well. His staff was maintained well up to that point and he was sure that they would be functional if there would be any mishaps along the line of another Grimm encounter right in the middle of their voyage.

But the problem that Sun had was how he would carry the sword that was now his. It sat on the bed alongside his staff and he needed to think of a way to carry that sword discretely. It was still in pristine condition but he didn't dare unsheathe it if it wasn't needed. He didn't want to damage it in any way but it wasn't the only reason why he refused to use it if it wasn't necessary.

Not only was it the weapon that Adam had once used against him, it would also leave Blake in a trance as painful memories would start to invade her mind if she would ever get a glimpse of its blade. And even he was affected by it since it bought back memories of his fateful encounter with him at the wastelands.

Even with that in mind, he was able to easily dismiss these thoughts of his since he wanted to put every trace of that day behind him. The only thing that he wanted to do was to move forward and his next stop would be back to his home, Mistral.

It put a small smile on his face as he was reminded of the beautiful city that he spent a lot of years in. He was excited to see Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage once again after a long time of not coming in contact with them or seeing their faces. He was also excited to show Blake around the city since it was the first time that she would ever go to Mistral. But with all of his anticipation and excitement to return back to his hometown, there were still some problems that he needed to deal with as soon as the two of them arrive there.

He didn't tell Blake that he knew a lot more about the splinter group that the White Fang had on Mistral. Sun didn't want to bother her anymore regarding that matter and he took it upon himself to continue the fight. After all, he still had to settle the score with the chameleon girl that had almost killed him who he know knew as Illya. The letter that he sent Neptune had all the details regarding what he knew and he hoped that he would get some useful information as soon as they met each other.

But there was one more thing that nagged him but it was more of a personal problem than anything else. He was glad to know that Blake was doing everything that she can in order to reconnect with her team and that he appreciated very much. Sun was happy to know that Blake had slowly adjusted to her new and more positive self and she had taken the right steps in order to atone for the things that she had done in the past.

The small smile that he had on his face had slowly vanished as his thoughts continued to address his feelings towards their relationship together. He knew full well that Blake loved him and there was no disputing that. He was thankful and overjoyed that he had experienced this love of hers but he couldn't help but feel a void that slowly enveloped him.

Even with the obvious feelings that Blake had for him, he was also sure in the fact that Blake still had feelings for Yang despite everything that has happened. He enjoyed the time that he had spent with Blake and all that he wanted for her was to be happy. In some way, Sun felt that he might be holding Blake back from becoming truly happy if he forced her to withhold her feelings for Yang.

Sun had decided upon himself that he would give Blake the opportunity to choose between the two of them. And he was content in knowing that she finally had a choice now and no matter who she chose, she would be happy either way.

His thoughts had started to overpower him a little bit and he felt physically tired because of all of the thinking that he did. Sun set aside his staff along with Wilt in order for him to get some space on the bed which made it possible for him to plop down on it. It made things easier for him as he was able to think in peace and lessen the burden that he forced his body to endure.

He placed his right hand on top of his forehead as he vividly remembered the time that he started bashing his head against the wall of a tree. That was the first time that he got scared of his own emotions as he almost lost all of his faith and that time and was even at the verge of losing himself. Sun didn't want to experience that anymore and he made a promise to not lose himself like that ever again.

As much as he pleaded with himself to accept that things might come to an end, it still hurt regardless. But there was no use in moping around and go back to hiding his feelings. In fact, Sun felt that he was obligated to relish his time with Blake as much as he could as he knew that things won't be like this for long. A new fire was ignited within himself and that fire would fuel him up for the rest of the day and its sole purpose was to make the most out of his time with her and to express every ounce of love that he had for her.

With all of his things packed, he took his staff and retracted it and placed it on his pocket. He was satisfied with it being secure and then he took Wilt while it was sheathed and inserted half of it inside of his backpack in order for his hands to be free and to conceal it in some way.

Sun made sure that he didn't forget any of his belongings and he surveyed the room one last time. He took a bit longer than he thought he would as this would be the last time that he would ever set foot on this room at least for a very long time. He considered this his home in Menagerie and any other place within the small island would never give him the same amount of hospitality like this house did.

Finally satisfied with the things that he bought and with one last look at this room that he stayed in, he made his way outside the door and closed it as soon as he made his way outside.

And as if on cue, Blake had also finished with all of her preparations and the two of them set eyes on each other as soon as they made their way outside of their perspective rooms. A smile was plastered on Blake's face and it was contagious since Sun also made one of his own as soon as he saw her.

He was so engrossed in his earlier thoughts that he forgot that he was in a relationship with the beautiful girl that stood right in front of him. Sun will always admire her bright eyes and amazing smile and he wanted to make do with his promise of making the most out of their time together as soon as possible.

"You look beautiful" Sun told her.

"Isn't it a little bit early for compliments"

"I'm serious. You look beautiful"

"Thanks, I guess" Blake replied back with a small laugh that left her mouth.

She immediately noticed that there was something about how Sun stared at her. There was something that was different about him but it was too subtle for her to notice. Blake started to wonder how he felt since he had spent an uncomfortable amount of time just staring at her with a smile on his face.

"Sun, are you okay?" Blake asked with concern.

Blake's inquiry had snapped Sun out of his trance and straight back to reality. He realized that he had stared at her like an idiot. But it didn't matter to him as he wanted to pour his heart out as much as he could.

"I just wanted you to know, that I will always love you Blakey"

"You're starting to worry me a little bit"

"There's nothing to worry about. I just wanted you to know that"

"Of course I know that Sun. Well I want you to know that I love you too"

In order to affirm her feelings for Sun, Blake held out his arms and grabbed Sun's shoulders. She pulled him closer to her and planted a kiss on his cheek and enveloped him with her embrace. Sun's body felt good against hers and that made her feelings swell up and grow even more. It was nice to know that Sun would be there for her and she would be sure to give him all of the love that he deserved.

Sun also wrapped Blake with his arms and they were both happy with this little moment that they shared together. The two felt loved under the embrace that the two of them shared and it felt that their bond together would never be broken.

"If you don't mind, we do need to head downstairs to prepare breakfast you know" Blake said pre-emptively.

"I guess there's more time for hugs and kisses for later"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world" She replied back.

Sun planted a small kiss on her forehead and that formed a small blush on their faces. He put his right hand on her shoulder and the two of them made their way downstairs in order to take advantage of the early morning and proceed with their schedule like they planned.

* * *

After an early morning well spent which consisted of breakfast any many funny stories about Blake's childhood which she most certainly didn't appreciate, the time had finally come and all four of them stood outside of the house and had started to say farewell.

Blake felt suffocated under the arms of both her mother and father. They really didn't want to let her go based on how tight their grip was on her. Her face had started to turn blue but she maintained the smile on her face in order to avoid offending them and to give them the opportunity to say anything that they wanted before she left.

"Oh I wish that you can spend more time with both me and your father"

"I do too Mom" Blake tried to blurt out under the tight hug that she was under.

"I can't believe that my little Blake is so grown up" Ghira chimed in.

"Take care of yourself while you're in Mistral okay? Eat well and make sure that you brush your teeth three times a day" Kali told her with as much motherly love as she expected.

"Of course Mom, that's obvious"

"Did you bring any clothes that cover up more of your body? I mean it isn't hot over their unlike here in Menagerie right?" Ghira added.

"Dad, seriously I'm fine with my clothes"

"Well I'm just saying. You could wear something much less revealing than that"

"Dad you can relax. I can handle myself just fine"

The conversation that Blake and her parents were engaged in continued on as Sun stepped into the sidelines in order for Blake and her family to receive some much needed space. The family moments that the three shared would always bring a smile to Sun's face. It showed that their bonds were strong even through thick and thin and all of the suffering that they had endured.

All that he could see was love from all three of them. It made him happy to know that he was a part of the reason why they were all there to love each other and Blake being able to experience more love and affection from her two loving parents.

"Mom, Dad. I know that you're going to miss me but I'm kind of losing my breath here"

"Oh, sorry" Kali replied apologetically.

The two of them pulled away from Blake and she was finally given the release that she desperately needed and her face had started to return to its regular shade of color. Blake started to breath in as much air as she could but as she did so, Kali's eyes lit up as she remembered something that she needed to do before they finally say goodbye.

"Oh and that reminds me honey, can I have a word with Blake before we send them off?" Kali pleaded.

"Why, can't I cherish my daughter for a few more minutes before she leaves again?"

"Don't worry it will only take a minute. And besides, I think you need to speak to someone else"

Kali looked Ghira straight in the eye and pointed towards Sun who had kept quiet throughout their whole conversation. He had suddenly realized that Kali had pointed at him and he instantly knew what she was implying with the blank look that Ghira had on his face. The sly old woman had asked the two to share a conversation of their own while Kali took it upon herself to talk to Blake personally one last time before she left.

"Do I really have to talk to him Kali. I mean, it's awkward" Ghira pleaded.

"Oh please stop being such a big baby. This is the last time that you're ever going to see him and you haven't even thanked him for being here. So the two of you settle your differences while I share a little girl talk with Blake over here"

The two of them knew that Kali's resolve was unwavering and there was no use to not comply with what she wanted. Ghira decided that he just wanted to get things over with and he made his way towards Sun who had started to stare at him with wide eyes with a shocked look on his face.

Both Sun and Ghira shared their differences over the short time that they had spent together. Ghira never really had a good impression on Sun but he learned to tolerate his behaviour as time passed. It was a nuisance for him to experience the boy's rowdiness but he can't deny that Sun had earned his respect due to his actions.

Sun definitely treated Ghira as a force to be reckoned with. He was a very stern man who was overprotective of his family and would most certainly do anything to keep them away from harm. Sun admired this trait of his but he really didn't appreciate that he was also considered a threat to their family in the eyes of Ghira. All that he wanted was to let him know that he had no ill-intent and this was the last chance that he had in order to set things straight with the old man.

"Sun, I do think that we have some things to talk about" Ghira initiated the conversation.

"Yes sir, I think we do. Just hear me out sir, all I want is-"

A large hand had suddenly appeared mere inches in front of Sun's face. It had made him stop mid sentence which is what Ghira had wanted to happen. He needed to voice out his thoughts first in order to make things clear and for the two of them to avoid another quarrel to happen between the two of them mere minutes before Blake and Sun's journey.

"Look, I know that I might be rough sometimes and I know that I can also be a bit over the top when it comes to Blake"

"But I want you to know that all I want for Blake is her happiness and safety. And when I saw her with you throughout the week that you spent here, all I could see from her was smiles and complete happiness. And for that you have my respect"

Ghira extended his right arm towards Sun in an effort to make amends as he offered his hand for them to shake on this little peace treaty that Ghira had wanted to make. Sun was utterly surprised by Ghira's sudden change of heart towards him and he was happy to know that he might have warmed up a little bit towards Blake's father.

Sun eagerly took Ghira's hand and the two of them had shared a handshake that symbolized their now earned mutual respect for each other.

"I promise to protect Blake throughout our journey sir. And just so you know, I really do like your daughter"

"Yeah yeah stop with all the yammering. And by the way, this doesn't meant that I'm not going to keep my eye on you."

"I know that sir. And I would never do anything indecent to her"

"You better not. And besides, you're not the only one I'm worried about when it comes to the whole relationship thing"

Sun was confused by what he meant by this. But he noticed that Ghira had changed the focus of his gaze and he turned around behind his back in order to look at both Blake and Kali who were busy as they both shared their own conversation with a few breaks due to their laughter. Sun also looked to their direction and as he did, Ghira continued with his statement.

"Blake really did take a lot from her mother. I used to think that all she could do was to brood and be quiet. But she can be really feisty when she wants something badly"

"You don't have to tell me"

"So can you promise me one thing. From a man to another man"

"Of course. And what would that be?"

"Please don't let her do anything too weird. She might get a little bit too intimate because of the books that she's been reading"

"I highly doubt that she would ever try something that, inappropriate"

"You've been sleeping in the same bed with barely any clothes on and you have the guts to say that?"

"You do have a point"

The two had started to drift from their original conversation and had become more casual with each other as they continued their conversation. Kali continued to observe the two quietly as she signalled Blake to keep still in order to avoid any suspicion coming from the two of them. Her final plan for the two to be on the same page for once had actually worked and that put a little smile on her face that Blake had noticed.

"Those two are finally able to talk to each other without making any commotion." Kali casually remarked.

"I can't believe that dad can actually talk to Sun that casually. To be honest it actually scares me"

The two girls shared a small laugh together as they found Ghira and Sun's relationship together to be humorous. It wasn't the best thing in the world, but it was a huge improvement from their earlier standing and had took a step forward by giving the proper respect that the two of them deserved.

"Are you sure that you'll be fine?" Kali asked once again.

"It's okay mom, I can handle myself now. And this time, I'm not alone anymore"

Blake turned around in order to take a good look at the person that served as her guiding light. The one that saved her and the one that would continue to be with her. The person that she wanted to call her hero. Kali had also looked over back to Sun and she immediately knew what Blake meant by what she just said.

"At least I know that the trip there won't be lonely anymore" Kali mentioned.

"Yeah, I'm glad that he's coming with me"

"But Blake if you don't mind, I need to ask a favor from you"

"Sure. What is it?"

Kali scooted closer to her and she grasped both of Blake's arms tenderly and wrapped them against her own. The older woman tried to adjust the volume of her voice so that only the two of them would be able to hear what she wanted to say. And to make things more private, Kali whispered it directly into Blake without breaking her gaze from her.

"Promise me that you will take care of Sun too. That boy has been through a lot. All the pain, the sadness. He may wear a big smile but he has problems that need taking care of"

"Don't forget that he was always there for you. So it's your turn to be there for him"

Every word that had came out of her mother's mouth had struck a chord with Blake and she took the things that her mother had said to heart and she made sure to follow through with what her mother had asked of her. All of the things that Kali had said were very much true and that made Blake realize that it was her turn to make it up to Sun.

"I understand mom. I promise that I'll never leave his side and I will do everything that he has done for me"

"Thank you Blake. And besides it's not only for his benefit, I'm sure that you're never going to find anyone whose as thoughtful and loving as that boy"

A familiar nagging sensation had started to creep behind Blake's mind. She couldn't exactly tell why she felt that way but she had a hunch that it was related to her conflicting feelings. But the day was still young and there were still a lot of things that she and Sun would have to go through in order to call it a day. She decided to push it back for now as the timer started to tick and it was only a mere minutes before their ship would start to board in its passengers.

"Well you can say that" Blake said sternly.

"Oh my God you two should get going or else you might be late!" Kali reminded in a panic.

"Time flies when you're having fun I guess"

Kali immediately got Ghira's attention as soon as she learned that both Sun and Blake would miss their trip if they won't leave as soon as possible. Ghira immediately rushed over to Blake's side, cutting his conversation with Sun short. Sun had noticed what the sudden urgency meant and he immediately prepared himself to leave and head over to the large port filled with many docked ships.

Blake was immediately peppered by hugs and kisses by both her mother and father as they tried to hastily commit as many acts of physical love upon her before their time ran out. Her face was a big bundle of flustered cheeks and the sudden lack of oxygen had once again made its side effects known due to the furious hugs that she had received.

The two parents were finally content with their acts and they both finally send their little daughter away with one last farewell.

"Goodbye Blake! Me and your father will miss you!"

"Make sure to dress properly Blake!" Ghira added.

Blake appreciated the final farewell that her parents had given her and she was now fully ready to board the ship and start their voyage to reach Mistral. She ran next to Sun and she tried to make sure if everything was set and to make one last check for all of their belongings.

"Are your clothes all there?' Blake urgently asked him.

"Yep. Tighty-whities included"

"Some snacks?"

"All covered. Got some bananas and fish crackers for you and me to share"

"And most importantly, weapons?"

Sun had wondered why Blake even bothered to ask that question. But in order to give her some relief, he pointed over to his pocket which clearly showed the silhouette of his staff. And he did a quick twirl in order to show her half of Wilt in order to tell her that all of their firepower was ready if something bad would ever happen.

Blake clutched Gambol Shroud which slung behind her back. She missed how it felt against her hands and she was honestly excited to wield it once again. But not so soon.

With all of their baggage checked and their final words exchanged, Blake nodded her head and she was now fully pumped to finally step foot on the boat that had waited for them.

"Well what are we waiting for? The boat's not going to wait for us you know"

"Yep, let's do this!"

Both Blake and Sun's blood rushed through their veins as their excitement level was off the roof and the only thing that could quench it was to know that they would make it in time for their trip. Without even a sign of hesitation or patience, Blake rushed off ahead of Sun and signalled him to follow her towards their destination.

Sun was glad that Blake was excited to make this trip and that made him even more determined to make it to Mistral as soon as possible. So without even a second thought, Sun had prepared himself to make a run for it. But as soon as he was about to propel himself forward, a slim hand had suddenly grabbed hold of his right hand and that prevented him to start his sprint.

He was surprised to see that it was Kali who had grabbed hold of him and by his observation, she wanted to tell her something before he left.

"Mrs. B. I hope you don't mind but I'm kind of in a deadline right now"

Sun thought that Kali would say something in return but instead, she came closer to him and he had just noticed that she clutched something with her left hand. He thought that it was something small since she was able to conceal it with only her hand.

But what surprised him even more was that Kali had suddenly grab hold of collar of his shirt and she pulled him closer to her so that they could see eye to eye. He didn't know what Kali wanted to tell him but due to the smile that Kali had on her face, it made his heart start to get faster than usual.

Kali had Sun close to her and she started to open her mouth to tell Sun about something that he needed to do for her.

"Give this to Blake or I promise that you'll get a huge beating from me if you don't"

She had slipped her hand under Sun's palm and she quickly slid the foreign object that she had in the middle of his hand. And as fast as she pinned Sun against her, Kali quickly released him from her grasp and smiled intently as she waited for Sun's inevitable reaction.

Sun was in a storm of confusion because of what Kali had started to do to him. He didn't know what she meant but he could most certainly feel the small object that was now located on his palm. Sun didn't know what it was so he started to direct his eyes directly towards the thing that Kali had given him.

His face suddenly turned pale and he swore that his heart stopped as soon as he caught sight of what Kali had given him. The look of pure and utter shock was in his eyes and he definitely never expected a surprise to this degree. Sun quickly looked up from his hand and he saw the huge smile that was on Kali's face as he realized that she had waited for his reaction.

"You're not joking, are you?" Sun asked with much uncertainty.

"Nope. And by the way don't forget the question that comes with it" She replied with a cheery voice.

"You do know that your husband's going to kill me for this"

"Oh relax, I'll handle him. Just make sure that you follow through or I'm going to kill you instead" She teased.

Ghira was still beside Kali as their conversation continued. He was completely clueless on what Kali had meant and what she had given Sun. So he decided to step in so that he could be informed on what the two started to talk about.

"Kali, what's going to make me kill him?"

"Relax, it's nothing special"

"I have a very bad feeling about this"

"You're just overreacting"

He knew that it would prove useless to continue this conversation with Kali so he just decided to shut himself up in order to conserve his patience and energy.

Sun was still overwhelmed with what Kali had entrusted him to do and it surprised him so much that he believed that he would be stuck in that same position forever. He admired the craftsmanship and the beautiful design of the jewelry that Kali had given him. It was probably the most important thing that he held up to that point and the thought of it continued to rattle his mind.

"I can't believe that you're crazy enough to do this" Sun told Kali one last time.

"You two will thank me for it later. You deserve each other and that's just one thing to make you inseparable"

"Kali, thank you for everything"

"It's no big deal. But it will be if you don't follow through"

Kali shot Sun a mean glare that was meant to show how she would feel if Sun didn't follow through with what she asked of him. Sun nodded his head in order to show her that he was serious. Sun would have said goodbye to both Kali and Ghira but the loud nagging that came from Blake had prevented him to do so.

"Sun can't you see that we're going to be late!"

"I'm sorry! Your mother just told me about one more baby Blake story"

"Don't ever bring that up or I'll choke you"

He let out a small laugh under Blake's hollow threats and he decided that he really needed to go or risk being left by the ship.

"But really, thank you guys for letting me be with her"

Kali nodded her head in response and Ghira just waved his hand before Sun went barrelling towards Blake. Things had started to take an interesting turn but Ghira was still curious about what Kali had given to Sun.

"Kali, they're gone now. So can you tell me what you gave that boy?"

"I'll give you a hint, he's going to have to bend his knee to give it to her" Kali told him enthusiastically.

Ghira tried to process the small hint that Kali had given him. As he started to get closer and closer to the obvious answer that was right in front of him, Ghira felt that time had stopped and his breath had suddenly got stuck on his lungs. When he finally knew what Kali had given Sun, he started to choke on the air that he breathed as the shock that came with his sudden realization was too much for him to bear.

"Please don't tell me that you gave him a ring"

"Yes I did! I am going to miss it since it looked great on me ever since the day you gave it to me"

That caused Ghira to enter into a state of panic even more as Kali revealed that it was the ring that he gave to her when he asked her to marry him. This made his heart wrench and he collapsed on the floor as the thought of passing out had suddenly became more acceptable rather than being awake to that thought for the rest of the day.

"Why did you have to do that Kali" Ghira muttered weakly.

"Don't be sad about it. After all its for a good cause and you'll still see it since it will be for Blake"

Ghira stood up from the ground after his little stint. His imagination had pictured Blake, wearing the fateful ring that he had once given to Kali. It was certainly heart warming to know that his own daughter would be able to wear the ring that he had once entrusted to Kali in order to affirm their complete love for each other.

"Well I guess it's not too bad if she's the one who'll use it" Said Ghira as he tried to be as optimistic as possible.

"That's great, it's nice to see that you're finally warming up to Sun after all this time"

His mind had already started to adjust to the idea that Blake would inherit Kali's ring. But all of the progress that he had made in accepting this fact had suddenly plummeted back to ground zero as Kali reminded him that Sun would be the reason why Blake would receive that ring.

His mind and body had finally got enough and he let himself fall flat down on the floor out of pure disbelief. Ghira's psyche had become a jumble of thoughts but Kali had just stared at him and laughed under the complete meltdown that her husband had started to go through.

People had already started to look their way with eyes that questioned why Ghira was slumped to the floor. Kali had taken notice of this and she didn't want the two of them to cause a scene or become an inconvenience to the people around them. So with all of her strength, she took Ghira by the shoulder's and she steadied him from the ground up. The sheer weight of Ghira had caused her to stumble a bit as she made an effort to climb the steps that led up to their house.

"You know for being the man in the house, you can be quite the drama queen"

Ghira just went silent under this small remark of hers but that didn't stop him from making small whimpers as Kali dragged him up the stairs. They had finally reached the last step and Kali opened the large door to their house with her left hand and they continued their way inside.

Both Kali and Ghira had finally entered the house but there wasn't anything else left to do after they sent both Blake and Sun off. The two of them had woken up early in order to foresee both Blake and Sun before they left. So that left them with a large desire to sleep and that was the thing on top of their agenda as Ghria picked himself up and the old couple made their way to the bedroom that they had shared.

* * *

The cool and fresh breeze of the ocean was a nice change from the climate that Menagerie provided. The heat had finally subsided as their ship went farther and farther away out of that place and the coolness of the air had managed to cement the fact that she had actually proceeded with this plan of hers.

Blake was positioned directly at the edge of the boat as she tried to balance herself on the head that stuck out from it. She felt that the world was hers to conquer while she stood there as the vast sea had reminded her that there was still much of remnant that was left for her to discover. And this time, she wanted to do that with her team.

It was already night time and barely any people were awake besides the captain that piloted the ship and the rest of the crew. She knew that she would not be bothered by anyone as she stood there. So that made Blake appreciate the view longer and the tranquillity of her surroundings had given her peace with her thoughts and in her mind.

The next step in her journey had finally begun and the only thing that was left for her to do was to wait until the boat would reach its destination. It would take approximately about a week for the ship to reach Mistral and that made Blake a little bit annoyed since she was faced with the fact that she would have to sit here and wait before she could do anything meaningful.

But at least it was nice to know that she had ways of passing the time throughout the whole extent of their voyage. The massive amount of books that she had amassed was certainly something that would eat the most out of her time and she looked forward to reading each and every last one of them.

And how could she forget Sun who was there to accompany her throughout the rest of the trip. Not only did it feel nice to know that she wouldn't need to be alone in the trip, it also made her happy to know that their time together could still be spent as they await their arrival.

After a few more minutes, Blake started to get bored at looking to the vast nothingness that the ocean had provided her. It was fascinating and wondrous to look at first, but it was obvious that a whole lot of nothing would start to become boring as time continued to pass.

So Blake decided that it was time for her to return to the deck of the ship and maybe turn in for the night after the exhausting day that she had experienced. She started to make her way back but before she could turn around and walk back to solid ground, Blake had somehow mistimed her step and that made her slip and lose her balance.

Her heart had managed to skip a beat after this little blunder of hers and as she started to feel her body lose its balance and slip out into the ocean.

But Blake's instincts were something of worthy praise as her right hand was already propped against the handle of Gambol Shroud, fully ready to extend and save her from an unfortunate dip into the ocean.

Before anything more drastic could happen to her, Blake felt a large set of hands catch her back and pick her up directly into the air before she could use her weapon to avoid taking a splash. She was relieved that someone had managed to save her from that situation and Blake was about to face that person and thank them profoundly.

Her head started to turn around as she steadied her own heart after that accident. But what immediately greeted her was the face of Sun who had a small smile on his face. That made her more comfortable as Sun was the one that carried her bridal style and not some other guy that might have noticed the accident that she sloppily put herself into.

"You know for being cat-like, you aren't exactly the most nimble person that I know"

"My hero" Blake uttered under hear breath.

"Now that's what I like to hear"

Sun carefully timed his steps in order to avoid an unfortunate accident which Blake had almost experienced. His balance was impeccable as he continued to walk straight even with the uneven weight that both he and Blake had which would make things more harder for him.

Blake just continued to look at Sun's face as he carried her all the way towards solid ground. Being carried like that made her heart beat faster as she felt like that she was the most important person in the world to him when Sun did that. But this feeling came to pass rather quickly as the sudden thump of Sun's feet against the hard wood floor had signalled that she was ready to stand back up on her own legs.

"Well here's your stop Blake. And by the way, don't do that again or you might not be so lucky"

"Hey I could have handled myself"

"Yeah right. And besides, isn't it getting a little bit late?"

"I could ask you the same thing"

"Touché"

Blake removed herself from Sun's grasp as she was glad to feel a solid surface under her feet. The fear of falling was gone and she was able to freely walk around once again. Before she could ask Sun anymore questions, Blake had noticed that he had leaned over the railing at the side of the ship and stared absent mindedly at the bright moon which reflected against the blue ocean.

Her instincts had immediately told her to accompany him against the railing. And that's exactly what she did as her silent feet sneak up on Sun and she took the free space that was near Sun and she also leaned against the rails.

"Are you excited to return back to Mistral?" Blake asked him.

"Are you kidding me, of course I am! I've missed that place so much along with the rest of team SSSN"

"Well, what's it like in Mistral?"

"To be honest, it's not as fancy as Vale or Atlas. Life there is a little bit simpler and not many interesting things happen from day to day"

"But to be honest, I think that's what makes the place special. It makes you appreciate the little things especially in times like these. I think that you'll like it and Faunus like us are treated fairly unlike some other places" Sun added.

"That's nice to hear. I just hope that we can find what we're looking for in there"

"If our timing is correct, Neptune would already have received the letter that I sent. He might have some news if we meet with him once we land there"

"That makes our job a little bit easier. And I'm going to have to thank Neptune for shaking up his plans"

"Don't sweat it, the guy's literally begging for him to be of some help so he wouldn't mind looking for some info. And besides he knew that it was for you so he was very eager to help"

Things had definitely panned out to be great for the two of them as their progress in finding news about the rest of team RWBY had already started even though they weren't there yet. Blake was very grateful for Sun as he pulled some strings just to get some information ahead of time. Because of that, Blake felt that she was once again being unfair to Sun as he had once again started doing everything just to benefit her.

"I'm sorry Sun"

"What do you mean?"

"It's because I feel like I'm being unfair with you every single time. You do everything just to make sure that everything is good in my part and what do I do, absolutely nothing"

Sun understood that Blake had some kind of dilemma that she needed to be solved. He knew that Blake meant well but her behaviour regarding the situation was something that he wanted to change. The kind of thinking that Blake had was more on the negative side and he wanted to give some insight on how he felt.

"Don't batter yourself like that, its unhealthy for you. And besides, I don't really mind things being like this"

"Maybe for you, but not for me. I really want to make things up to you, so can you just let me?"

"If that's what you want. I'm going to warn you though, it's really hard to please someone who doesn't need it"

Blake knew that Sun was somehow right. He was the type of guy that was private regarding his personal needs and she knew that just by how long he hid his feelings from her. She tried her best to think of a way on how to make things even between the two of them. Blake was at a loss for words until her mother's voice had echoed through her mind and that made her remember what Sun needed.

He may always wear a big smile, but there were still things within him that were in need of mending. And that bought her back to their talk in the library. Sun had consoled her in regard to her situation with her teammates and most specially Yang. Blake had realized that she never really considered Sun's feelings towards the whole situation and that made it all the more worse since he had explicitly told her that he knew about her feelings towards Yang.

She knew that things might become a little bit awkward between the two of them if she chose to ask the question that she had on her mind. But it was the only thing that Blake thought of that would level them both on the same field. And for her to be fair to Sun, she needed to take into account his feelings regarding their relationship and the rest of the things that they needed to deal with.

"Well this is my way of making things up to you. And if you don't want to you can just say nothing" Blake proposed.

"Are you going to ask a question or what?"

"Are you sure about this"

"Well you asked me to let you repay me. So fire away"

With Sun's approval, there was nothing that held Blake back from asking Sun about how he felt. There was nothing for the two of them to lose so she just took one last breath before she nervously uttered the question that she wanted answered in order for her to help Sun.

"For the past days, the only thing that we talk about are my feelings about everything that's happening between you and me and the rest of my team"

"What I want to ask is, what about you. How do you feel about everything?"

"What do you feel knowing that somewhere deep inside me, that I still have feelings for Yang" Blake finished.

A small moment of silence came to pass after Blake had ended her little rant. Sun was still in the process of taking in all of the questions that Blake had in her mind and he was most certainly stumped up to a degree. He knew that it would be the best for the two of them if he answered her questions and he would break his promise if he would hide how he truly felt.

"That's a very hard question to answer. You do know that right?"

Blake nodded her head and she kept quiet to let Sun meditate with his feelings as he tried to make out a coherent answer for her question.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you because I know that it's what you would want. And I'm going to be honest in saying that it hurts. At least a little bit"

That answer had managed to shake Blake right down to the core. She knew that Sun had felt this way but he was direct on how he said it that it managed to catch her off guard. But she knew that Sun still had more to say so she continued to listen.

"I know that it hurts but I can't stop myself from loving you even though I know that things might come to an end rather quickly. But I knew that sharing something special with you even though you had feelings for Yang was something that would bite me back in the future"

"But even with that, I remember that one night that we spent together and I can hear the words that you told me. You told me that you didn't care what would happen in the future. All that you knew was that this felt right. And that's exactly what I'm trying to do right now"

"But one things is for certain, you're free now which means that you are free to have a choice. And the only thing that makes me happy is to know that you're free to choose and that you'll be happy either way"

Sun had made his position clear and everything was finally on the table for the two of them. Blake finally knew how Sun felt but she didn't expect that guilt would overcome her with the answer that he had given. Even though she wanted nothing more than to make it up to Sun, something had always prevented her from doing so and knowing this made sadness bloom within her.

It felt nice to let out everything that he had on his chest. Even though he knew that Blake might get the wrong impression due to his answer, he most certainly knew that it helped him clear his thoughts and he felt better knowing that Blake still considered his word concerning the two of them.

"Hey Blake, thank you for-"

Sun was in the middle of thanking Blake for giving him the opportunity to open up to her. But his thanks had been cut short as Blake had suddenly wrapped her in a large hug from nowhere. She nestled her face inside his neck and he could feel that tears had started to slowly trickle down Blake's face and he realized that she had started to cry.

"I'm so sorry Sun. I'm such a terrible person"

"Hey if you want to make it up to me stop berating yourself like that. I don't like it one bit"

"But can't you see that it's true? All I do is lead you on and what then, I might leave you in the air and I don't want to hurt you"

"You can't pin everything on yourself Blake. I'm the one who chose to love you and there's no changing that. And you're not just leading me on because I know from the bottom of my heart that you love me too and there's no denying that"

"All I want from you to is to know that I love you. Why can't you just accept it"

Blake continued to cry and Sun did everything that he could to calm her down. He rubbed her back gently and hummed a sweet lullaby in order to alleviate the tension that was around them. It made things more calm between the two of them and Sun knew what he was doing had worked since Blake's cries had turned into miniscule sobs and it continued to die down.

"Hey, are you finally done?" Sun asked Blake with much care.

"Yeah. I'm sorry that I caused a ruckus"

"It's okay. We were bound to have this talk anyway so why not take care of it now"

"I just wish that I can do something about this whole situation. I don't want to see you hurt anymore Sun"

"There's nothing that you can do but sit back and see how things go. Me on the other hand"

Sun cut his sentence short as he used his left hand to wipe the tears that trickled down Blake's face. He gently lifted her chin up and planted a large kiss on her lips that had managed to lift his spirits up alongside Blake. She gladly accepted this gesture of his and they continued to kiss each other for quite a while.

This was the most powerful way for them to experience each other's love and they didn't mind the sensation that came with it. Things had become more complicated for their relationship but the only thing that they could do was to move forward.

Blake had completely lost herself under the spell that covered the two of them as they continued to kiss each other. Her heart beat was fast as she continued to persist with this moment of theirs and Sun didn't mind one bit of it.

After this long exchange of theirs had finally ended, Blake wrapped her hands against Sun's waist and he covered her body with his two arms that hugged Blake completely.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, we do have a week all to ourselves" Sun casually told her.

"Maybe this boat ride isn't so bad after all. I'm excited to have some more hugs and kisses" Blake replied with a small laugh.

The two stared at the bright moon which paved the way towards their destination. Many things were uncertain for their future but at least they had each other to rely on. And all that they wished was for their bond together to last as long as it could.

* * *

Welcome back once again and thank you for reading the most recent chapter of this story.

I have noticed a trend that I now usually upload a chapter roughly 2 weeks in between each other. I guess that's what I need in order to finish a chapter and I have noticed that the recent chapters have been quite long compared to the earlier ones.

I've been writing for a few nights straight now so I'll probably take a night off just to regain some sleep after these late nights. But that may not happen just because I want to work on this as much as I can.

In regards to the story, I know that the timing of their travel from Menagerie and Mistral may be drastically inaccurate but I feel that I need to cut the travel time to about a week since any time longer than that can make huge gaps in the story.

Also expect something new in the next chapter since I'll be covering a new set of characters to setup the setting for Mistral. The cast is about to get much bigger and it will definitely be a challenge to capture their characters properly into the story.

As always, thank you for taking some time to read this fic and reviews are much appreciated. See you next time!


	17. Chapter 17

The night had already set its veil upon Mistral but one could still admire its architecture and complexity especially if you didn't hail from the kingdom. The city was divided into many separate districts that spanned all across the city. These districts were necessary as the terrain that Mistral was built upon had forced the people to integrate the city into the mountains and the forests around it.

It had various levels and one could easily get lost in the city because of its sprawling layout and confusing streets. It could be argued that the lowest level of the city was the most essential to the people's safety as it was the level that was encircled by the city's massive walls. They were the only things that stood in between the Grimm that had littered the forests and the citizens of Mistral.

Over the past couple of weeks, Grimm activity had suddenly spiked around the land that surrounded Mistral. They had started to get closer and closer to the walls and things had started to get problematic as the people feared that the Grimm would be able to infiltrate the city. This fear had stemmed from the Fall of Beacon and tension had started to build up across the populace which contributed to attracting the Grimm further.

In order to appease the unrest that had spread all across the city, the local authorities had hired a team of huntsmen in order to make sure that the Grimm would maintain a relatively safe distance away from the city walls. And that night was no different as team RNJR camped outside the wall's boundaries in order to keep a close eye on the city's perimeter.

According to the airships that Mistral had for scouting purposes, there was a massive increase in the number of Grimm around the area and the team had been informed about this situation. Knowing this, they still accepted the job and were ensured that there would be a hefty amount of lien that would await them after their post.

All four of them had sat in a circle with a campfire that provided ample heat for all of them to share in that cold night. They were stationed at the opening that lead to the forest that sat across the large stone wall that surrounded Mistral. Ren and Nora sat next to each other as the hyper active girl leaned next to Ren for more comfort. Ren made no protest with this and he was even somehow glad that Nora was comfortable being this close to him. While Jaune and Ruby on the other hand sat across each other as they enjoyed the free space that they had as they feel the open flame in front of them.

"Do you think that we'll actually face some Grimm tonight?" Jaune asked.

"What, you're scared that you'll get eaten by one!" Ruby teased.

"It's not that. I just hope that we can have a few more quiet nights. We deserve it you know"

"Well as much as I would like for that to happen, I can sense a lot of them in the vicinity" Ren chimed in.

"There goes our chances of sleeping without bruises" Jaune replied back.

"Why are you even worried Jaune? We've faced a lunatic scorpion Faunus that tried to hunt us down and a half-horse half something Grimm. Do you really think anything can faze us now?" Nora energetically told him while she bounced around.

"Yeah, Nora has a point Jaune. There's no stopping team RNJR when we're together!" Ruby continued.

"Fine fine you can stop buttering me up. But I have been thinking for the past couple of days"

"What do you mean" Ruby asked.

"What do you think will happen next? We're finally at Mistral and all that we've really been doing is keeping Grimm at bay from approaching the wall"

"Well aren't you glad that we can finally enjoy some rest after travelling here? And besides, we don't have that many options anyway" Ren replied.

"You might be right. But I have to ask Ruby, what do you plan on doing now that we're finally here?"

Jaune, Ren, and Nora all directed their attention to Ruby who was fully stumped as she faced Jaune's question. What he said was true, they were all finally at Mistral and it seemed like they haven't made much progress in finding information about the enemy that was hidden in the shadows. It was her uncle's job to do that and all that they could do was hope that there would be something that he could find.

With all that in mind, the only thing that Ruby was concerned with was the wellbeing of the rest of her team. They had all fallen apart after the events that happened at beacon and they had never fully reconciled ever since. Yang was devastated by the awful tragedy that befell her and that made her incapable of driving herself to join her and the rest of team RNJR in their journey to Mistral.

She was worried that Yang might not be able to recover from her downfall. But knowing her sister, she would find some way to bounce right back up into her own two feet and get back to facing the world once again. She just hoped that her big sister would be okay when they meet once again.

Blake was the person that Ruby had the least amount of information on and was the most vague in terms of her current condition and why she left. Yang had informed her that Blake had just vanished after the Fall without saying a single word or even a note that would explain her reasons on why she left. She had no idea on why Blake had did this but if she would take a guess, it would most probably related to the involvement of the White Fang in the fall.

Ruby and the others knew that Blake had connections with the White Fang in her previous life. And the fact that the Fang had a direct hand in the destruction of beacon would have made Blake guilty and that was the thing that drove her off. At least that was what Ruby thought.

What she was scared about the most was the current divide that Blake and her sister currently had in their hands. Ruby knew that her sister grew feelings of resentment for Blake after the fact that she just left abruptly, leaving her with a part of herself lost and the person that she cared for the most gone without a trace.

Ruby hoped that the two would be able to patch things up if they ever meet again. She knew that the two held feelings for each other even though they weren't together officially and that the bond between them was strong. She just wished that they would actually have the opportunity to reunite and be together again.

Amidst the thoughts that she had about Blake and Yang, there was one more person that she had on her mind and definitely the one that took up the most out of her feelings, and that person was Weiss. She was unconscious when the white-haired girl had apparently been taken back to Atlas and she was guilty that she wasn't there to prevent that from happening.

Weiss was her partner and that definitely entailed that the two of them needed to protect each other. She had learned from Weiss how difficult her life was back in Atlas and not everything was sunshine and rainbows as others would think. Ruby knew how much Weiss disliked living under the shadow of her father and to think that he was the one that made her go back had put a huge load on her conscience that she couldn't remove.

All that she wanted to was to spend time with her partner after all of the time that they had lost. And it drove her to do everything that she could in order to make sure that she was safe but their current situation had made it impossible to do so. She wanted to see her ice queen again and feast her eyes upon the rare smiles that she gave and how attractive she looked even to Ruby's standards.

A few minutes had passed since Jaune asked his question and he still waited for a response from Ruby. Even Ren and Nora had realized the uncomfortable silence that surrounded them but they could do nothing but wait for Ruby to snap back to reality. But they didn't have to wait for long as Ruby had seemed to realize that she had phased out and turned back to her real self after she collected her thoughts

"Sorry guys, I think I got too deep with my thoughts"

"Don't sweat it. We've been through tough times and its understandable if you won't answer my question" Jaune responded.

"Its fine Jaune. Anyway to answer your question, the one thing that I want nothing more is to finally get team RWBY back together"

"Well we still haven't received word from the headmaster so I think that's a reasonable thing to work for while we're still free" Ren told her.

"And by the way guys, I don't want you to think that I don't like you or anything for wishing that they were here. I just want to see them really badly"

"Oh come on Rubes, we won't hate you just because you want to see your team back together" Nora assured.

Both Jaune and Ren looked at each other and nodded in agreement with what Nora had just said. They wouldn't hold anything towards Ruby for her wanting to see her old teammates. In fact, they wanted nothing more than to see them all together again after being torn apart by the challenges that they had faced.

Ruby appreciated the support that her friends had given her towards her wish to form team RWBY back together. She had spent months with all three of them and she couldn't have asked for a better set of people that could accompany her towards their goal to reach Mistral.

"Thank you guys. And just so you know, you'll always be family to me no matter what. I'll always remember being part of the ragtag group that is team RNJR"

"We know that and that's the only thing that we could ever want in return" Jaune replied.

"And by the way, how do you plan on seeing Weiss, Blake, and Yang after all of the things that has happened so far?"

"That's the problem. With all communications hindered and with little to no information, I can barely do anything besides trying to send letters and even that would be difficult" Ruby told them frantically.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, this place would probably be your best bet if you want to see them again"

"Why do you think that Jaune?" Ruby asked.

"Just look at the facts. Beacon is still under siege, Atlas is in a pretty rough spot right now, and Vacuo is pretty much the last place that anyone wants to be in right now. That means that Mistral is the kingdom that would be on their mind to go to" Jaune responded intelligently.

"Wow Jaune. I never really thought of you as a nerdy type of guy. Most certainly a dork, but not really a nerd" Nora joked while Ren sneaked in a little snicker.

"Joke all you want but I'm just trying to put a little hope in this situation thank you very much"

"It's okay Jaune. Thanks for being positive"

"Don't mention it. Just keep your head high and I guarantee that you'll see each other again"

Ruby was happy with how Jaune and the others had treated her situation. They were very sympathetic and she knew that they would do everything that they could in order to help her to achieve her current goal. That made her appreciate them even more and there was no doubt that she held them close to her heart along with the rest of her other teammates.

"And I almost forgot. I also asked uncle Qrow to get some information on them. Maybe he'll get lucky and find some leads on them" Ruby blurted out enthusiastically.

"That reminds me, where is your uncle, Ruby?" Jaune asked with a little bit of annoyance.

"Umm, what do you mean?" Ruby responded nervously.

"I mean we're all out here risking our lives for this patrol and he's nowhere in sight. Let me guess, is he out drinking again?"

"Definitely not. Like I told you, he's collecting information for all of us!" Ruby tried to say this with as much confidence as possible but everyone in there could see right through her guise.

"Are you really sure about that Ruby" Jaune asked while he shot her a sharp glare.

"Of course, why would I, why would I even lie"

Ruby's words had started to jumble up as Jaune's piercing stare had slowly cut through her lies while Nora tried to keep in the laughter that formed inside of her because of how absurd Jaune had started to act. But of course, Ren was there to stop her from doing so but it was obvious that he had a little snicker that he also had within him.

"Ruby just admit it. He's drinking like there's no tomorrow isn't he"

"Fine fine you got me. He told me that this would be good practice for us so you know, he left us to do the job ourselves" Ruby admitted after her utter defeat.

All that Jaune could do was sigh as his suspicions were finally confirmed. He didn't know what was inside of Qrow's mind that made him confident enough to let them patrol the perimeter by themselves. But her remembered that they did fight some formidable foes along the way and that made him more comfortable with the fact that it was up to them to fend off the Grimm that they would see around the area.

"I guess it's up to us again isn't it?" Jaune blurted out.

"Relax Jaune. We haven't even seen a single Grimm from a mile away. Maybe we will get a quiet night like you asked for" Nora suggested.

Fate had its ways when it came to these situations and it was definitely not on their side that night. Because as soon as Nora had uttered those words, all of them heard a pack of Beowulf's that roared from afar and with it came bunch of footsteps that started getting louder as time passed.

"Nora, you just had to open your mouth didn't you" Ren told her.

"I'm sorry Renny. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you later" Nora replied with a small wink and mischievous smile on her face.

Ren was very well acquainted with Nora's different body signals and what she had just did had implied something that he started to get embarrassed about. He now had a small blush on his face and he tried to dismiss it as much as he could.

While all of this happened, both Jaune and Ruby had caught on what just happened and their faces clearly demonstrated their thoughts on what had just happened. Jaune had a look of embarrassment and shock as he couldn't believe how Nora could act like that right in front of them all. But Ruby just had a large smile on her face as she was entertained on how Nora handled the situation.

"Nora, how many times do I have to ask you to avoid doing these things when me and Ruby are around?" Jaune told her.

"What, It's not like the two of you are jealous or anything are you?"

"It's not that. What I'm saying is that we don't really need to hear those things out loud"

"Well you're a real downer aren't you" Nora responded with annoyance.

"Hey guys, I don't think that you noticed but we have a bunch of Grimm heading our way. Let's talk about this later shall we?" Ruby informed them.

"Ruby has a point guys. Let's do a weapons check and setup our positions if they ever get too close to the wall" Ren added.

"You two have a point. Get your bags and check every piece of gear that we have" Jaune ordered.

"Right!" all of them chanted.

The whole team had their own separate bags with them in order to store their own gear. Ruby had her assorted dust rounds and all of them were stored within the knapsack that she had. It was right beside her on the log that she sat on and she dragged it alongside her and laid out all of its contents for her to inspect them.

Ruby had made significant strides to improve her arsenal. She had almost every kind of dust infused round separated into many clips and they were ready to use as soon as she wanted to. In order to be prepared for any situation, Ruby liked to take at least one clip of each element that she preferred for the situation so that she could adjust her fighting style accordingly.

The only information that they knew about the herd of Grimm was that they mainly composed of Beowulfs and Ursa which means that ground combat was going to be the main focus of their fight. So she took one clip of red dust-infused rounds in order to deal with groups of Grimm, a clip of ice rounds in order to keep the bigger Grimm in place for all of them to focus on, and a clip of lightning rounds to stun targets or the more likely scenario, to let Nora absorb the shock and wreck shop.

But just in case some threats would come from the air, Ruby decided to be safe and carry the experimental rounds that she saved for special occasions. They were meant to deal with threats in the air and even though she hadn't used them yet, she always bought them just so they would have a way to deal with Gryphons or a Nevermore if they ever came.

Ruby had all of the clips that she had chosen and clipped them on the belt that she had on. The only thing left that she needed to check was the condition of Crescent Rose and she was confident that her little baby was in perfect condition.

With her finally ready to face the Grimm if they ever came too close, Ruby decided to check on the others with their preparations and see how each and every one of them prepared for fights like these. Although compared to her weapon, Jaune and the others had fairly simpler weapons which pale in comparison to how intricate Crescent Rose worked.

Jaune had his old sword and shield that he used from way back to their days at beacon. But now it had very subtle changes that accentuated how he grew as a person. This change came with the gold linings that now decorated Crocea Mors which was a reminder of the person that they had lost. But it also had functional upgrades that made it all the more deadlier. As the sword and shield combo could now merge together in order to make a formidable weapon that could decimate even the bigger Grimm.

But the person with the most firepower on their team by far is Nora. Magnhild was a force to be reckoned with because of its sheer size and power. It was made more dangerous by the fact that she could now channel the electricity that she absorbed into it and make its stopping power even stronger than it usually was. And to top it all off, it also transformed into a grenade launcher that could deal significant damage from afar.

Magnhild was the weapon that Ruby had admired besides her own because of how cool it was and how Nora could wield such a heavy weapon so effectively. She was excited to see it in action and she couldn't wait to see bodies to drop in its wake.

Even though Nora had the more powerful weapon at her disposal, Ren had contrasted her much more as he was the one that arguably had the simplest weapon out of all of them. Stormflower was still the weapon that he used and he had barely added any alterations to it despite Nora and Jaune adding modifications to their own weapons. He preferred things to be this way and none of them argued either way.

The two pistols that he had were simple and effective. They pelted the enemy with numerous rounds and it aided his mobility as he could still be light on his feet as he fired them both. And just in case the enemy got too close, they had blades attached to each end just so he could deal with the more prevalent threats that were right in his face.

All of them were finally geared up and ready just in case things got sketchy with the Grimm that were scattered around the area. They knew that there was a large possibility that they would be fighting that night so they decided to take immediate action and planned out a strategy to turn the tides in their favor just in case they would come face to face with the large pack that was just right around the corner.

Jaune had already decided their plan of attack. Both Nora and him would serve as the main vanguard of their formation and would serve as the main combatants against the Grimm that would pour out from the small opening. While Nora and Jaune attracted the attention of the Grimm, Ren and Ruby would serve as the ones who picked off the stragglers from the pack and they would eliminate the Grimm that could overwhelm their two teammates.

"Nora, stay with me in the opening and we'll try to use brute force to drive them back" Jaune ordered.

"This is going to be so much fun!" Nora replied as she positioned herself in front of the opening with Maghnild in hammer mode.

"Ruby, Ren, try and spread out so you can cover the area around us. Try and pick them off while me and Nora get their attention"

"You got it!" Ruby screamed.

Ren nodded his head in agreement and they both covered Jaune and Nora's left and right side respectively and they were fully prepared to provide support to the two as they come face to face with the Grimm that could come out of the dense forest.

All of them were in full fighting position and the anticipation for the enemy had made their hearts beat faster. Both with excitement and nervousness at the same time. But the challenges that they faced to make it here had made things look easy and this would serve as nothing but a practice session for them if things go according to plan.

But things got intimidating as the four of them felt as slight vibration that came from the ground. It started out faint at first but all of them had noticed that the ground had started to tremble. It was no mystery that the shaking had came from the Grimm that had started to march towards their location and there was no more denying that they would have to fight that night.

Loud roars had also accompanied the rhythmic shaking of the ground and that made Jaune and the others tense up even more. They knew that it would be a challenge to hold their ground but their confidence was still enough to keep them motivated as they faced the impending threat that had come their way.

Ruby took one last look at the moon that illuminated their surroundings. It made it easier for all of them to see and it somehow looked even more majestic compared to the previous nights that came before it. She didn't know why, but she somehow felt that something good might happen that night. And that made her want to see the moon like this with the rest of team RWBY even more.

* * *

Sitting on a chair for hours on end could be more tiresome than what some people would think. Her butt had started to become sore and the boredom of staring at the same blank sky for many days had started to take a toll on Weiss and her eagerness to reach Mistral had reached its peak because of the conditions that she experienced.

But even with all of the minor inconveniences that had flooded her time in the plane, she was still very thankful for the fact that she was able to escape the prison that she had once called home. Her father would have locked her up for good if she had stayed there for any longer and she very much preferred a rough seat over a comfy bed in a place that she didn't want to be in.

Air travel was restricted at the time as the kingdoms deemed that it was a risky way to travel with how things had currently developed and only a few select groups and individuals were allowed access to air travel. Weiss was lucky enough to snag a ride on this transport ship with the help from Klein. She promised a huge payment for the pilot to drop her off at Mistral and it was large enough to make the pilot accept her offer without even a single shadow of doubt.

The pilot had told her earlier through the intercom that they had started to approach the Mistral airspace and it seemed like they would finally reach her destination that night. She was happy that this little journey of hers was about to end at Mistral but that made her worry about things that she would need to do as soon as she reached the kingdom.

Her first order of business was to find about the current situation of the outside world. Her father had made sure to lessen the amount of things that she knew about the events that transpired through her absence and she wanted to know how the world was doing while she became a prisoner in her own house.

The only chance that Weiss would have in order to survive by herself in Mistral was to find a person that she knew or at least trusted within the city. She knew that her sister, Winter, was situated at Mistral. But the problem that she had is that her sister would constantly be engaged in missions and that would make it difficult for her to get a hold of her during these hectic times.

Things seemed bleak on her side but she had hope that things would go her way for once. She had finally grew the courage to free herself from captivity and almost nothing can compare to how hard it was for her to do that. So finding a person that she could trust within the kingdom would be nothing but another inconvenience alongside her sore bottom.

The one thing that she wished more than anything else was is to be reunited with her team once again. Weiss had learned to treat them as her family rather than her biological one. They had been more loving and supportive than her real family had ever been. She felt at home with Ruby, Blake, and Yang and nothing could ever replace the feelings that she had whenever she was with them.

Weiss had started to tap her fingers rhythmically on the armrest in her chair as the wait for them to land at Mistral had started to eat at her. The thoughts of team RWBY on her mind had started to fuel her determination to reach Mistral as soon as possible. Her priorities had somehow switched from getting in touch with her sister and turned into getting information on the rest of her teammates.

She barely had any news or information regarding her teammates since she was denied any information on them throughout her stay in Atlas. The only thing that she knew was that Blake had left Yang and the others without any prior notice or even a message that she could have left behind. Weiss knew that Blake was a very secretive person but she never knew that she would go this far in hiding her reasons on why she left.

Small inklings of resentment had built up inside of her for Blake. Weiss felt guilty that she left her teammates unwillingly because of her father and it was the worst feeling in the world for her to endure. And that made her mad at Blake since she believed that the three of them should have stayed together in their darkest moment. But what made her even more worried was the fact that Yang would have probably been affected the most because of Blake's departure.

Weiss knew that Yang had been amputated during the fall and that would have been devastating for her. Losing a part of yourself was a hard thing to cope with and Weiss knew that feeling every single bit. But what made matters worse was the fact that Blake left her in her moment of weakness. She left when Yang needed her the most and Weiss thought that Yang would have been completely defeated because of that.

This made things more complicated as almost everybody who was close to their team had known that Blake and Yang were nearly inseparable not only because they were partners, but for different reasons as well. The only thing that could solve this problem between the two of them was for them to see each other face to face and deal with their own problems vocally and with all of their feelings for each other fully revealed in order to mend this chink in their relationship.

Her thoughts on the two partners had also dredged up some feelings that she had regarding her own partner and the leader of their team, Ruby.

Weiss was with her during that unfortunate night in Beacon. She knew that something massive had happened and it drove Ruby into unconsciousness. She wasn't able to tend to her partners needs because of her father's persistence to keep her in Atlas and that made Weiss hate herself for not fighting for the right to be with her partner and guilt ate at her every time she remembered her name .

Ruby cared for her the most out of all of the people that she knew. The younger girl had somehow broken through the walls that she had built around herself and connected with her in a deeper level than any individual that she had ever met. Weiss was completely smitten by Ruby's charm and attitude towards life and how she saw things differently.

Even though her initial thoughts on Ruby were somehow bleak, Weiss was glad that she could eat her words as Ruby proved her wrong as time passed while they continued to bond as partners at Beacon. The two of them had managed to form a bond that some people might say surpasses friendship. But Weiss did not have any problem in accepting this fact as she knew that she had developed a soft spot for Ruby that could insinuate more intimate feelings towards her.

Many thoughts about Ruby had quickly swarmed Weiss' mind and that made her incessant tapping even more faster than before. She wanted to be reunited with the bright rose that she admired and she would stop at nothing to form team RWBY back together.

While Weiss was enveloped in her thoughts, she was interrupted the sound of the intercom as it turned on and played the muffled voice of the pilot as he tried to give her a message.

"Ma'am we're about to approach Mistral in just a few minutes. We might experience some slight turbulence but nothing too serious should happen"

"And by the way, they have also alerted us through radio that Grimm activity had spiked all around the area. I'm just reminding you to be careful"

Weiss was content with what the pilot had told her as it meant that she would finally be able to plant her two feet in solid ground after days of travelling. But the alert that the pilot had given her was worrisome in a way and Weiss decided to be safe and prepare some gear if things started to go south.

Her massive suitcase was stored underneath her seat in a compartment and she lugged it on her lap so that she could prepare her rapier, Myrtenaster, if combat should be necessary. And in some way, to make herself feel safe in such a foreign land.

Even though Weiss wouldn't admit it, she had barely any combat training in months and the only source of practice that she had was small bursts of swordplay that she practiced in her room. She definitely had the skill to tend to her own, but her ability to fight would be hindered since she was rusty after months of staying in Atlas.

But all of the time that she had spent back at home were not wasted. Weiss had doubted her ability to perform proper summoning when she tried to practice it earlier at Beacon. But her sister continued to encourage her that the right time would come and she would eventually develop the ability to perform such a magnificent feat. Every word of what her sister said had come true as she know had the ability to summon a fully functioning suit of armor that bended to her will.

The suit was a fragment of her past but she would now use it as a way to move forward. Her little knight in shining armor would help her along the way and she was ready to crush any opponent that would come her way.

Weiss continued to riffle through her suitcase in order to make sure that all of her belongings were in order. The few clothes that she had managed to take with her were nothing special but they were definitely enough for her to wear something fresh for a few weeks. Her trusted weapon was also located inside along with a variety of dust for her personal use if the situation arise.

With all of her belongings in check and with the determination to start anew at Mistral, Weiss was finally ready to start her journey and put behind the past that she had left.

But all of a sudden, the airship had started to shake violently and some of the cargo that was tied down inside the ship had started to shift because of how strong the crash was. Weiss' heart had managed to skip a beat as the tremor was unexpected and she just chalked it up to being caused by the turbulence that the pilot had mentioned.

Although that wasn't the real reason why it started to shake violently as the pilot had once again turned on the intercom and an alarm that continued to blare at max volume had started to accompany the pilot's frantic voice.

"Miss! we're being attacked by a Nevermore. Hold tight and I'll try to shake it off"

The two of them were alerted that Grimm activity had spiked near the area. But Weiss did not expect that things were this drastic that even a Nevermore had been attracted this close to the kingdom. Fear would not stifle her though as Weiss powered through the tremors that enveloped the whole ship and she tried to make it into the pilot's room in order to help him against the Nevermore that had started to plague them.

Weiss had already made it to the far end of the ship and she had already placed her hand on the door in order to open it. But the whole ship had started to lean to the right and that made Weiss lose her balance which made her slam to the right side of the ship as she gripped Myrtenaster in her hand along with the suitcase on her left.

The impact had dazed Weiss and made her vision blurry. She could still feel the Nevemore as it clashed with the body of the ship and that made the tremors increasingly worse. She needed to do something in order to eliminate it but her options were limited since she was in the cargo hold with no way of engaging it directly.

A loud bang had suddenly caused Weiss to regain her focus as it shocked her out of delirium. It was caused by the Nevermore that had now attached itself to the ship with its massive talons and a hole had now appeared in the left side of the ship right in front of Weiss.

She could now see the threat that needed to be dealt with as the huge Grimm had started to weigh the ship down and Weiss could felt a dropping sensation which meant that they had now started to descend because of the pressure that the Grimm had applied to the ship.

The Nevermore started to poke its head inside of the ship with the large hole that it made. Its beak had started to poke around inside and it locked eyes with Weiss and all of its attention was drawn towards her. A loud shriek had come out of the beast before it pulled back in order to lunge towards Weiss with the intent to strike her down with the large beak that it possessed.

Weiss knew that her aura could not endure such an attack so she needed to protect herself in order to avoid a fatal blow. All of her dust was still stored within her suitcase and it would take too much time if she tried to scramble through its contents to find the right dust that she needed to stave off the attack. But things were not bleak as she remembered that she had a new tool in her arsenal and she could finally test out her summoning with the hope to conquer the beast.

The large beak had started to lunge towards her with lightning speed and that made Weiss feel the adrenaline in her veins as it increased her instincts in a frightening level. She was able to point the tip of Myrtenaster in front of her and she did everything that she could in order to conjure the knight that she needed to block the attack.

Weiss closed her eyes as she wasn't sure if she was fast enough in doing this and she didn't want to see the gruesome sight that would appear in front of her if she failed to summon the huge suit of armor. While enveloped within her blank vision, Weiss had heard a loud thud right in front of her and the muffled squeals of Nevermore. That made her breath as sigh of relief and made her open her eyes and even she was amazed of what she had done.

A large spectral knight had manifested itself right in front of Weiss as it blocked the attack of the large Nevermore using the greatsword that it possessed. It had enough stopping power to knock the Grimm's head backwards because of the recoil that it caused for coming in contact with the knight's huge sword.

The small moment of reprieve that Weiss was given had did not last for much long as the Grimm had focused its attention on dragging the ship downwards that would most likely cause it to crash land. Weiss didn't know what to do as she didn't know how to pry off the Nevermore as it attached itself firmly to the body of the ship.

"We're going to crash! Hold on tight"

The intercom had blared once again as Weiss was fully aware of how dire the situation was. But she knew that she could not give up so she started to work on getting the thing off of the ship and she opened her suitcase to reveal the staggering amount of dust that was contained inside.

She imbued as must dust as she could within Myrtenaster in order to give her the ability to cast the most destructive glyphs that she had in order to try and slay the Nevermore. The large knight that she had summoned had eaten the bare space that she had to work with so Weiss decided to unsummon it for now for her to gain more room to work with.

Although she didn't eliminate its presence completely as she kept its arms floating behind her still equipped with the sword that it had in order to aid her side in an effort to save her own life. Weiss absorbed all of the confidence that she had within herself in order to stabilize herself. She needed to do this calmly in order for her to succeed. This would be the first test that she would face after freeing herself and she believed that she had it within herself to conquer it.

"Well, here goes nothing"

She uttered one last time before she held up Myrtenaster and channeled all of her focus in pelting the Grimm with enough firepower to try and take it down. It was a hard fight, but Weiss had the will and the power to see it through the end.

* * *

The long stretch of road was quiet and tranquil during most nights and this time should have not been different. But the loud mechanical sounds of the motorcycle's engine had invaded the peacefulness of its surroundings and it disturbed the silence that enveloped the path.

It was windy that night and there was nothing to keep the daring blonde excited at that time. The only thing that made the trip bearable was the cool wind that blew across her face and she felt it flow through her hair that was tied into a pony tail so that it wouldn't obstruct her view as she drove towards her destination.

This was the last few miles that Yang needed to cover in order to make it to Mistral after days of trying to reach it. She had visited many villages along the way which served as her breaks in between her journey in order to stock up on supplies and regain her strength after she rode on her bike for many hours on end to cover as much ground as she could every day.

Yang met a lot of people over the course of her journey and it surprised her how simple life was in this part of Remnant. It reminded her of Patch a lot and it made her miss home despite months of spending her time in there. But the new sights and the people that she had met along the way had made her glad that she was able to pick herself up from the ditch that she got stuck in and was finally able to face the world so boldly once again.

The thrill of going into another adventure had fuelled Yang's resolve as she was excited to get back into the action once again. Her father had adjusted her back into condition once again as she tried to get used to the Atlas tech that was generously given to her. It wasn't like the old arm that she had way back then, but she was thankful that she had something to work with rather than live with the reality that she would be crippled forever.

Although Yang had started to return back to her old self when it came to physicality, her wounds were still fresh in her mind and she still fought with them constantly. Nightmares had still plagued her dreams every night and it still frightened her every single bit. She wanted to get used to them, but the traumatic event still had a grip on her heart but she did everything that she could in order to fight it.

She continued to ride forward even under these thoughts and that made Yang less focused on what she was doing. Her thoughts had started to become a big jumble as she tried to fight the anxiety within her. It was already pretty dark besides the moon that illuminated her surroundings and the headlights that she had in order to see the road right in front of her.

Yang tried to relax as she took long breaths to steady her breathing and she rested her eyes for a bit in order to relax her eyes after hours of staring at the light that her motorcycle had. Darkness had clouded her vision and that aided in slowing down her heartbeat. Yang thought that this had done the trick as she breathed normally once again and she could no longer feel her heart beating irregularly.

But the safety that she had assumed was quickly erased as a crimson outline of Adam's mask had appeared out of the darkness of her vision and that made her gasp in fear. Her instincts were fast enough that she had opened her eyes in a split second and she was glad that the bright light had cleared her vision. Yang thought that she was in the clear but nervousness had overcame her because of the vision that she had experienced. The motorcycle had suddenly swerved from left to right because of her actions.

Yang was quick in correcting her mistake as she steadied her balance once again to maintain the straight direction that she had earlier. That small altercation had caused her much trouble and she wanted to take a break in order to regain her composure after what had just happened.

The problem was, she didn't want to waste any time as Yang knew that there were no more villages in between here towards Mistral so there was no proper location for her to stop for a while. She did have the option to stop in the middle of the road, but Yang knew well enough that it would be a bad idea for her to do that since the place was probably littered with Grimm.

"Can't I catch a break today" Yang muttered under her breath.

Before she knew it, her wishes were answered as Yang saw that there was a cliff in the distance that had a path downwards to the left. It would be the best place for her to take a break since it overlooked the remaining land that she needed to travel which would give ample information for her to use. It also helped that it was relatively spacious so she could park her bike and lay on it for a couple of minutes.

The promise of rest and some information to work with had motivated Yang to drive faster and it halved the time that she needed in order to make it to the cliff that she saw from afar.

The beautiful hue of the sky accompanied by the twinkling stars that spread along the blank space had provided Yang with a pleasant sight to stare at as Yang tried to regain the strength that she had expended after hours of sitting on her motorcycle. She now laid on it comfortably as she admired the view above her and the distant kingdom of Mistral that was just over the horizon.

Yang was ecstatic that Mistral was only a few minutes away from her and the fact that there was a direct road that lead to it due to the path that the cliff lead to. She had surveyed the land thoroughly and she was confident that she could make the trip that night and her last stop would be at Mistral.

This gave her the liberty to take a longer break than usual as she knew that her goal was only a few steps ahead. What she was concerned about was the state of how the rest of her team was doing. Yang wanted to see their faces once again so she pulled out a photo from her pocket that had all four of them on one frame.

They were all hugging each other in that one photo that was taken on a bright and sunny day. It made her reminisce of the times when everything was sunshine and rainbows. All that she could see in that one photo was happiness that they shared among themselves and she would give everything to get that feeling once again.

Her sister, Ruby, was the main reason why she travelled all the way to Mistral. Yang knew that Ruby and the remaining members of team JNPR had made their way over there because of the letter that Ruby had sent earlier. She was worried at first regarding their safety but Ruby had also informed her that their uncle Qrow had accompanied them along the way.

Yang couldn't deny that she was proud of her little sis for making it this far. She had grown from being a little kid who wanted to prove herself to her peers into a determined and capable individual that was able to make it here after the many treacherous dangers that they had encountered along the way.

She missed the energetic atmosphere that Ruby possessed and she was glad that that she had the opportunity to meet her after months of having no interaction at all. Yang was also excited to see how much she's changed physically as she had no clue on how Ruby looked after many months away from home. But nothing was going to save her little sister from the beating that Yang was about to give her after leaving so abruptly and leaving nothing but a letter in her wake.

The chaos that was bound to happen had excited Yang very much and that made her remember about Ruby's partner who would always be there to be the most rational out of everyone in their team. Weiss was the person that Yang thought would be the least chance to have a connection with Ruby as the two were completely different individuals.

Everyone thought the same as the duo's relationship was rocky when it first started. But her doubt was quickly erased as the two grew individually with help from each other and they both grew as partners side by side. Yang would be lying if she denied that she didn't ship the two together. Since it was obvious that they both had feelings for each other and were just too shy to admit it.

Yang was happy that she was able to remember the two so vividly and it filled her heart with happiness as she revisited the memories that she had of them. Her small smile had only started to appear on her face but it slowly started to get smaller as she adjusted her eyes and set them upon the girl who was beside her in this picture. Yang could see both her and Blake wrapped together tightly while Blake nestled her face within her shoulders with a large smile on her face.

Her feelings towards Blake were conflicted ever since the day that she left her. It infuriated her that Blake had the guts to leave all of them in the dark after the Fall of Beacon. She was heartbroken that her partner had it within herself to leave her in the time when she was the most vulnerable and it made Yang hate Blake for what she had done to her. She did everything to protect her and even sacrificed her arm in order to save her from danger. The least that she wanted was for her to be there and be with her through the hardships that she faced.

But deep inside her, Yang knew that she couldn't relinquish the love that she had for the girl. She had never personally told Blake that she loved her and that was one mistake that she wished that she had never done. Because of this, the two of them didn't have the opportunity to take things to the next level and Yang hated herself for not doing it because they have missed out on so much time that they could have spent together.

Even though the two of them didn't admit it openly, it was clear to her and to Blake that they loved each other in a more intimate level that no one would have expected. So much in fact that Yang even considered giving her a pass for running away even though the hate that she had for her grew every single time that she remembered the night when she left.

Yang didn't know what to do. She wanted to hate Blake with a rage that no one has yet to see and scream her frustrations right in front of her face. But the other side of her wanted nothing more to take a look at the shining amber eyes of hers and to feel the heat of her body once again. And maybe this time, express her love for her that she had never done in the past.

She didn't know how to express her feelings in clear and concise way. Yang wanted to be angry but she also felt in love in the same time. The hurricane of emotions that clouded Yang's judgement had made her irritated of how much she could doubt herself. The soft grip that she had on the picture had started to transform into a harsher one because of her frustration. Yang had noticed that the picture had started to form a crease because of what she was doing so she immediately loosened her grip on it to avoid damaging it any further.

The wind had once again started to blow against Yang's face and that helped in cooling her down. The cold sensation had made her temper slowly die down and it just made her live in the moment as this was one of the only times that she could enjoy peace throughout her whole journey. She was thankful for her serene surroundings and Yang thought that it would be okay for her to rest her eyes for a while under the moonlight that illuminated the land.

All of the tranquillity that existed around Yang had suddenly dissipated as her ears had heard growls that came from afar which she quickly recognized as Grimm. Normally Yang would just scoff at this fact as Grimm would usually be relatively far away from a kingdom's perimeter because of the defence mechanisms that they had. But Yang couldn't ignore that she also heard faint gunshots and fighting in the distance which meant that there were people who engaged the Grimm directly.

As a huntress, Yang couldn't ignore the call of duty especially when there were people who needed her help. It was something that she needed to do so it was already decided that all of her boredom would be taken out on the Grimm that were currently engaged with either the kingdoms guards or an unknown group of huntsmen.

Yang was completely ecstatic as action was right in front of her and she could finally rub off the rust that she had collected after months of not doing any serious fighting. It would also be a good opportunity to test out how her new arm worked and to see how much firepower that it had after holding back against her father. Without wasting anytime, Yang prepped herself against her motorcycle and revved up its engines in order to ride down the path to head to the heated battle that took place in the distance.

Her motorcycle had quickly responded to her will and Yang had quickly started to dart down the dirt path that she hoped would lead directly into the heat of battle. She checked if her pair of shot-gauntlets were loaded with shells and sure enough, they were and ready for action. Yang wanted to know how Ember Celica would function along with her knew metallic arm. She knew that one of its functions were to increase the kinetic power of her punch and she didn't know how much damage that it would deal along with the firepower of Ember Celica.

The feeling of adrenaline that rushed along Yang's body had produced small tingles along with it and her heart beat became faster as she was filled with excitement. This was her moment to prove to herself that she was ready to face the horrors of the world once again.

Yang had followed the sounds of roaring Grimm and the loud bang of guns and metal that struck the Grimm one by one. She could tell that the people who fought the Grimm had started to take a hold of the fight and they slowly whittled the Grimm down as the roars got weaker and weaker as time passed. She was slightly dismayed that she might not be able to join the fight that she had already conditioned herself to partake in but at least there was a guarantee that no one had gotten hurt because of the encounter.

But the fight still dragged on so Yang maintained the speed that she had travelled with. Yang knew that she would be able to make it in no time and things would be contained once she had made her way over there.

The blue light that the sky once had was subtly replaced with an orange hue that Yang knew was not normal. The smell of smoke had also invaded her nostrils and that definitely sent all of her warning signs to the red. Yang took a peek on what had happened on the sky above and what she saw had made her throttle her engines more and rush towards the place where she wanted to be.

An airship had been attacked by a large Nevermore and it latched itself tightly onto the ship. As she did this, Yang had also noticed that the Nevermore was bombarded with a massive amount of dust with varying amounts of elements it produced bright colors that reverberated all throughout the sky. She wondered who was in the ship but Yang definitely knew that a huntsman was behind the scene in front of her.

Her motorcycle wasn't fast enough to outrun the airship so it quickly zoomed past her and that made the scene all the more clearer. Yang tried to squint her eyes in order to get a better view on who fought the Grimm that was attached to the ship. She swore that her heart stopped for about five seconds as soon as she caught sight of who pelted the Grimm with dust from afar. Those flashes of dust and the use of glyphs were all too familiar as Yang's eyes had caught sight of the white-haired ice queen who valiantly stood right in front of danger as she tried to combat the Nevermore who threatened her life

"OH MY GOD! ITS WEISS!"

Yang screamed in joy as she was ecstatic that her teammate was only a few meters away from her. But her demeanour had quickly changed as it quickly sunk that the situation was dire and Weiss' life was in danger. She anticipated that the airship would crash near Mistral if it continued to barrel towards the ground and Yang increased the throttle even more so that she could make it if the ship were ever to crash.

Weiss was a very competent fighter and Yang knew that very much. She knew that the cold and temperate girl was competent enough to hold her own in any situation and this would be no different. But the Nevermore that she faced was a challenge that she needed help with and Yang wanted to be the one to step in to save her.

Because of the fact that Yang was able to see Weiss in such a short time after she left patch, even by chance gave her a small trickle of hope. If it only took a short amount of time for her to reconcile with Weiss, how long would it take for her to see the rest of their team back together again.

This left much to desire for Yang but there were more important things to consider right now. A battle still raged from the distance between a group of unnamed people with a pack of Grimm and Weiss had engaged a Nevermore in the sky as her ship had started to barrel down towards the ground.

Things had already started to get interesting and Yang hadn't even reached Mistral yet. Her imagination had run wild on what could happen next but all of her focus was directed towards the task at hand. To rescue the damsel in distress and to confront the Grimm that were only a few meters away from her.

* * *

Ruby and the rest of team RNJR had stood in position for about fifteen minutes now. They knew that the Grimm were still headed their way so they patiently held their ground until they got a visual on them. This made Ruby jitter a lot as the anticipation had started to make her uneasy as she wanted to get this over with quickly. She also didn't want to sleep with bruises or cuts so Ruby made a promise to as fierce as possible overpower the Grimm with a huge advantage.

"Why is it taking so long?!" Nora yawned with much boredom.

"They're probably marching slowly towards our location. Or they're so many that even though they're far away, we can feel their footsteps" Jaune replied.

"That's our strategist for ya" Ruby joined.

"Umm guys, I think we have company" Ren told them nervously.

Ren had the most increased senses out of the four of them and he was the only one that noticed that the Grimm had already appeared right in front of them. They were directly outside of the forest so the light had properly brightened their surroundings so they had no problem in seeing in their immediate direction.

But the thick trees within the forest had obscured much of the light from entering it and that made it hard for them besides Ren to see the Grimm that were now directly in front of them. Jaune needed to come up with a plan fast so that the Grimm wouldn't catch them by surprise and leave themselves defenceless. The only way that they could even out their disadvantage was to clear the trees that obstructed their vision and there was only one way for them to do that.

"Nora, we need to clear the trees so that we can see the Grimm" Jaune told her.

"How do you suppose we do that?"

"Well, you do have the hammer"

"Oh"

Nora had realized what Jaune had wanted so she planted her feet flat on the ground in order to channel energy throughout her body. She needed all of the strength that she had to destroy the terrain in front of them but for Nora, it was basically Childs play if her technique was executed correctly.

While Nora was busy, Jaune knew that Nora would need an extra boost to get as much destructibility out of her hammer. He positioned himself right in front of her and he ducked and placed his shield on top of him that would serve as a launch platform for Nora to jump on.

Electricity had started to jolt through Maghnild but Nora was not content on how much energy she generated. She knew that Ruby had electric rounds on her and its effects on her made results even though they hurt like hell. Nora would literally have to take a bullet for this one but it would be all worth it if she would hit her mark directly in the heart of the pack.

"Ruby, mind giving me a little boost?" Nora asked.

"Right on it!"

Ruby swiftly took a clip of her electric rounds and she loaded them up directly into the barrel of Crescent Rose. Wielding that giant scythe of hers was basically second nature for her and that made all of her actions with it faster and more effective as she knew every trick in the book to wield it properly. Ren had observed how Ruby expertly handled her weapon and she was so fast with her actions that he had only blinked for a split second and before he knew it, Ruby had already fired the bullet directly towards Nora.

Nora made a scream of discomfort as those rounds really hurt even with the aura that protected her. Ren was slightly worried as he didn't want to see Nora hurt but he knew her very well that she could take much more than the small bullet that she had just taken behind her back. But that didn't stop him as he still asked if Nora was okay or not.

"Nora, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Ren asked with much concern.

"Oh Ren, always the gentleman. Its fine I can take much more than that. And besides, that small pain can't compare to how much damage I will deal to those Grimm" She happily replied.

Ren was content and all his worries were erased because of Nora's assurance. He was finally able to release a sigh of relief and he gave her one last message before they started to initiate upon the enemy.

"Well that's my girl for you guys. Do your best Nora!" Ren shouted.

Nora had heard Ren's screams of approval and that made her slightly embarrassed of what he had said. Much so in fact that she almost lost her balance because of her confusion and the weight of her hammer which lead her to misstep and almost stumble to the ground. Both Jaune and Ruby had noticed that Nora had gotten flustered because of what Ren said and they both snickered a little bit because of it.

"Ren you're so lucky that we have Grimm to fight because if not, I would have tackled you to the ground and kissed you. I mean beat you up" Nora tried to make out with a jumble of words.

"You two lovebirds have all the time to settle this later. Nora, give them everything you've got!" Ruby screamed out loud.

"You got it!"

Nora screamed at the top of her lungs and she drew herself back in order to create some momentum for her to launch off of. After a few more seconds of waiting, Nora had finally sprung into action and she sprinted towards Jaune with hammer in hand and jumped towards the base of his shield.

Jaune had immediately felt Nora's weight go down upon his shield and that meant that he needed to launch her off with as much force as he could. He had built his strength overtime throughout their journey and that made him capable of more strenuous activities. Throwing Nora would be a challenge but it was nothing that Jaune could currently do.

With all of his might, Jaune heaved a large growl as he used his left arm along with his shoulder in order to elevate his shield along with Nora to launch her off. He was successful in doing so as Nora was high up in the air because of his assistance and she had gained a considerable amount of height that would greatly cover the area that they needed to clear out the Grimm that hid in the forest.

The hammer wielding girl had glided across the sky and she started to descend towards the location where Ren identified the Grimm where at. In order to maximize the destructive power of Maghnild, she spun around vertically in order to build up momentum for her hammer to increase the destructive force of her impact. Along with the electricity that she had received from Ruby, Nora was excited to see how many Grimm she could kill with this one strike.

The crackling of lightning could be heard by Ruby and the others as they observed Nora as she was about to crash towards the ground. They had all hoped that Nora would be able to destroy a large amount of the forest that they needed in order to even out the odds. But Nora repaid them in spades as they didn't anticipate the devastation that Nora had bought upon the lush forest.

A deafening boom had been produced as soon as Nora's hammer came in contact with the ground and she came in so fast that she didn't even notice how many Grimm that she had manage to strike. A large cloud of smoke had appeared out of the hammer strike that Nora had made and it covered the destruction that Nora had produced at least for the time being.

After all of the dust had settled, Ruby had taken a look at the location of where Nora had landed as she was worried on how her friend was doing after the massive strike that she had made. The look on her face was mirrored by the two men that stood beside her as their jaws dropped on how much destruction that Nora's little stunt had caused.

Nora had managed to make a large crater in her wake and all of the vegetation around it was reduced to rubble. They were worried that their efforts would have been for nothing but the destruction of their surroundings. But Ren was quick as he was able to survey the area quickly and he validated that a large amount of Grimm had been taken out due to the smoke that faintly rose from the ground. They had managed to clear a large amount of space as they wanted but they still weren't done even with the massive amount of Grimm that Nora had taken out with that one attack.

"Did I do a good job guys?"

"I think you overdid it a little bit too much" Jaune replied.

"You asked me to level the forest and take out a bunch of Grimm and you're the one to complain?"

Ruby couldn't contain her excitement as the staggering amount of destruction that Nora had caused had astounded her and she wanted to congratulate Nora for her efforts.

"Nora you were so cool! Doing spins in the air and landing on top of those Grimm, you're one crazy girl!"

"Ahh don't mention it. And besides, you're almost as crazy as me and we haven't even fought yet. Maybe you can do some cool tricks of your own Rubes"

Ruby swung Crescent Rose around her body and as it made a full rotation, she slammed it forcefully into the ground in order to tell the others that she was completely ready to take on the remaining Grimm that lived.

"Oh you can count on that" Ruby told them boastfully.

All of them had celebrated a little too early as a terrifying volume of roars had erupted from the remaining tree line in the forest and Jaune and the others had finally landed their first glimpse on the Grimm that they were about to face.

A bunch of Beowulf and Ursa had appeared out of the land that Nora had spared and it looked like they were the conventional type of Grimm, besides the huge pack that they had brought with them behind their back. The number of Grimm that had appeared right in front of Ruby and her team had slightly made her tense but there was no way that they would back out from the Grimm that had met them on the battlefield.

"Okay guys, remember the plan. Me and Nora would be the frontlines while Ruby and Ren cover our flanks"

"Right!" they rallied under Jaune's command.

"Here goes nothing!"

Nora screamed energetically as she swung Magnhild behind Jaune's back and towards the pack of Grimm. Jaune was caught completely off guard as there were no prior warnings that Nora and him would approach their enemy like that. He screamed at the top of his lungs as he tried to protect his face and body by placing his shield directly in front of him. It would lessen the amount of damage that he would take but it would hurt nonetheless.

Jaune had no chance in fending off the Grimm if he were to do it alone. Nora knew that she was needed beside him so that they could face the Grimm together so she converted Magnhild back into its grenade launcher form and she propelled herself towards Jaune's location using the blast and recoil from her gun.

She left huge puffs of smoke as Nora zoomed near Jaune and they landed on the ground simultaneously. The two of them were directly in front of a Beowulf but Jaune was still stunned because of his sudden flight and was unable to react fast enough to the beast right in front of him. However, Nora was able to quickly recover from her dazed state and she swung the tip of Maghnhild directly onto the Grimm's head and the force that it made was so large that it completely removed its head from its body.

Ruby and Ren had observed the fight from afar and Ruby couldn't believe what Nora had just done. She had propelled the two of them directly into harm's way and both she and Ren would need to go there fast to provide support to the two of them.

"Ren, I hope you won't be offended but you really need to control your girlfriend" Ruby told him.

"Yep, I really do. They need our help so cover their left flank while I cover the right. Got it?"

"Don't even have to ask"

The two nimble fighters had started to insert themselves in the battle that had started to rage as Nora and Jaune held their ground even under the large amount of Grimm that had surrounded them.

Jaune blocked a swipe from a Beowulf that came from his right using the shield part of his duo and he immediately channelled all of the momentum that he gained from the block in order to land a fatal counter attack to the Ursa right in front of him. He had started to become pressured from all directions but he steadily held his ground because of how Crocea Mors could adapt to the situation at hand.

Multiple Grimm had swarmed him and Nora and the two of them were forced to each other's backs. Jaune was composed as he blocked every single swipe that came from the Beowulfs around him and his defence was impeccable as he left no holes for them to attack through and he repaid the Grimm back with a single counter attack every time he blocked an attack.

Nora on the other hand was busy as she took out every single Ursa that came right at her. The sheer size of an Ursa was to be feared but Nora had no problems in standing toe to toe with them. Two Ursa had managed to slip through the pack that Nora had tried to contain but she immediately took care of them as she swung Magnhild to her left which completely swept the two beasts and took them out for good.

The two fighters handled themselves on the battlefield well but the amount of Grimm that they faced were too much for them to handle and they steadily started to lose some ground even after the large crater that Nora had made. But help immediately came as both Jaune and Nora's flanks were cleared of any Grimm as both Ren and Ruby brought death from afar as they were finally able to repel the Grimm that surrounded Jaune and Nora.

With their flanks cleared, Jaune decided that they could push their advantage and drive the Grimm out of the forest. They could set up a line that could continue to drive the Grimm back deeper into the forest.

"Guys! Let's push them back so we can get more ground" Jaune ordered them.

The other three nodded their heads and they continued to push forward to gain more room for them to control. Jaune lead the vanguard and he charged towards an Ursa with his shield striking it directly in its dome. The impact of his body along with the shield had managed to daze the Grimm and he was able to follow up his charge with a strike to its heart which immediately delivered its death.

While those two continued to push up front, Ruby covered Jaune's flank as she shot down any Grimm that tried to pin him down while he continued to push forward. All of her shots were precise as Grimm had started to drop like flies with each bullet that she released. Ruby was able to shoot them either directly in the head or in a vital part of its body which made her ammo use efficient as each bullet was designated to one Grimm or more.

As Ruby continued to shoot down the Grimm that had strayed from Jaune's threat zone, a few others had broken away from the pack and ran towards her. Their foaming mouths had meant that they had every desire to slay her but of course, Ruby would never allow that to happen.

The two Grimm that approached Ruby were too fast for her to shoot at so she was forced to use a more personal approach. She fired one last shot at a Grimm that tried to attack Jaune and she quickly cycled Crescent Rose into its scythe form and she was so fast in doing so that she was able to slam down the tip of its blade directly into one of the approaching Grimm. The force that her scythe had made because of its impact had made the other Grimm stumble as the ground had started to shake slightly. Ruby took complete advantage of this and she pulled the blade of Crescent Rose from the carcass that it was stuck to.

Ruby placed the barrel of her scythe behind her and she cocked one bullet into it. She fired a shot right behind her and she used its momentum to quickly disembowel the other Grimm that stood before her. The death that she bought was swift and she was free to support Jaune once again after she dealt with the two Grimm that had pestered her.

Nora and Ren had continued to push forward along with Jaune as the two followed the same routine that Jaune and Ruby conducted. Nora battered individual Grimm with her mighty hammer and it only took one hit for her to take out any Grimm that stood before her. It was a testament to how powerful she was physically and each strike made the ground rumble because of its force. Ren had also started to engage in direct combat as the Grimm had made their way towards him and directed some attention off of Nora.

A Beowulf had started to lunge towards Ren but he was quick to tumble backwards to avoid getting crushed. He returned fire directly into its head and abdomen and finished it off by slicing it in half.

The plan that Jaune had devised came into fruition as the hordes of Grimm had started to grow thinner and thinner as they approached the deeper part of the forest that was untouched by the destruction that Nora had caused. It had started to get easier and easier for Jaune and Nora to push the Grimm back and Ruby along with Ren had noticed that their shots had continued to dwindle in number and they all realized that victory was almost at hand.

Ruby wanted to celebrate as she knew that victory was already in their grasp. There was no way that things could get worse as they had already beaten the threat that they were hired to contain. Jaune and the other also felt the same but they held off because they wanted to make sure that everything was fine and that the Grimm would become more manageable.

But it seemed like their mission wasn't over yet as all of their ears had started to ring because of the brutal omen that came from the sky. A large shriek had pierced their eardrums as it signalled that a Nevermore had now joined the fray and that would prove to be a difficult situation to handle since it would hover in the sky and they would need to take it down.

"Crap, It's a Nevermore. How're we going to take it down?" Nora asked.

"I think it's already going down" Ren told her why he pointed at the sky above him.

Ruby was confused on why Ren had said this but she realized that Ren must have observed something from afar. They all looked at the general direction where Ren had told them to look and their faces were mortified on what they saw.

The Nevermore that they all heard had latched itself into an airship and it started to barrel down towards the ground. The humongous Grimm did not give up on its efforts to take the ship down and it would spell certain death for the passengers on board. Ruby knew that they had to do something quick but before she could approach Jaune regarding a plan, her eye had managed to see that the Nevermore was in the middle of a fight with a person on board the ship.

Small blasts of dust made contact with the Nevermore's body and even more shrieks had been produced by it because of the pain that it experienced. Ruby was enthralled by the display of colors that the Nevermore was being blasted with but she couldn't ignore the fact that a person was still on board on that ship and they would suffer an untimely fate if they didn't do anything.

"Jaune, how can we bring that Nevermore down?!" Ruby asked frantically.

"Our weapons don't have enough range to cover that distance. Your sniper can but I don't think that it has enough punch"

"Wait, I have an idea"

Ruby pulled out a clip from her belt while Jaune and the others wondered what she had planned. They had noticed that the clip that Ruby pulled out was something that they hadn't seen yet as it had a different logo than the other clips that she had which signified the type of element that it had.

"These babies might do the trick"

"Umm Ruby, what are those?" Nora asked as she was intrigued on what kind of bullets that Ruby had.

"I wouldn't typically use them in a fight but for Grimm that are in the air, this is a special treat" Ruby said eagerly.

Ruby took out the current clip that she had and replaced it with the experimental rounds that she had. It was the only way that she could think of that could pry the Grimm off of the ship and maybe she could use her semblance to rescue the people on board. She loaded one bullet into the chamber and Ruby zoomed her scope more than twice its regular zoom in so that she could get a more accurate shot as the ship was high up in the air.

She steadied her heartbeat and corrected her footing so that her accuracy wouldn't be affected and that the recoil wouldn't misdirect the shot. Ruby took small breaths in order to steady her aim as to not waste any of the special rounds that she had. Jaune, Nora, and Ren held their breath as they put all of their faith into Ruby to rescue the civilians inside the ship. But while Ruby aimed her rifle towards the Grimm, they could still see that it had sustained much damage because of the constant bombardment that came from the person that was in the ship.

It intrigued the three of them on who was in the ship as the person had exhibited the skills of being a huntsman in terms of combat. But nonetheless, that person needed saving and Ruby was their only hope.

Every parameter that Ruby needed in order to land a precise shot had lined up perfectly. She knew that it was now or never and she finally pulled the trigger as it produced a loud bang and a streak followed the bullet as it soared through the sky.

It took a few seconds before the bullet came in contact with the Grimm but as soon as it did, a purple explosion had resulted because of it and the right wing that was hit by Ruby's bullet had started to get pried off of the ship. It wasn't the only thing that happened though as the Nevermore had started to get dragged down by the loose wing and it struggled to lift it from being dragged down.

Jaune and the others had noticed the effects of the bullet and he had thought of an idea of what the bullet was because of what it did to the Grimm.

"That was some kind of gravity altering bullet isn't it?" Jaune asked

"Yep, it's only useful against flying Grimm but I never knew that it was this effective"

One bullet wasn't enough in stopping the Grimm as it continued to drag down the ship even with the gravitational pull that dragged the Nevermore's right wing. Ruby needed to land another shot in order to completely pry it off the ship and she had already loaded up another bullet to alleviate that problem.

Ruby prepared one more bullet and she fired it with much more urgency this time towards the left wing of the Nevermore. Another purple blast had appeared and similar to the right wing, the left wing had also been pried off of the ship and it dragged the Nevermore down because of its combined weight.

Loud screams of agony can be heard from the Nevermore as it started to crash land because of the gravity that pulled it into solid ground. The ship was finally free from the Nevermore's grasp but it sustained so much damage that it still continued to crash even after the Grimm was removed from its body.

They needed to save the people on board and the only person that could currently do that now was Ruby. She also knew this so she placed the barrel of Crescent Rose directly behind her so that she could launch herself directly towards the ship with the aid of her semblance.

"Ruby, are you sure that you want to do this?" Ren asked with concern.

"It's the only way that we can save the people in there. I have to do it guys"

"Well we are huntsmen after all" Jaune told her.

"Go get'em Rubes so we can finally get some sleep!" Nora added.

With the approval of all of her teammates, Ruby was now determined to rescue the people that were still stuck inside the ship. She bended her knees in order to conserve more momentum for her to use and she placed her scythe firmly into the ground. She was ready to proceed with the plan and without wasting anytime, she fired Crescent Rose and launched herself towards the ship.

Ruby continued to fire rounds behind her so she could use the recoil to propel her higher into the sky. She started to amass a large amount of speed as she darted towards the ship and she used her semblance to move even faster towards her destination. It only took a few more seconds and the ship was finally within her grasp.

Her semblance had almost reached its limit but she was able to make full use of it as she was able to zoom inside the airship through the hole that it had in its side in the nick of time before her semblance was exhausted.

Smoke had filled the air and her nostrils were flooded with the scent of burning metal and other materials. Her eyes had started to water because of the smoke that filled the air but Ruby dried them up as much as she could so that she could survey her surroundings. Her eyes had only started to adjust and all that she could see was bright hues of orange because of the fire that had accumulated inside. Ruby darted her eyes everywhere in order to find the people who were still inside.

Her eyes had managed to catch a glimpse of a silhouette of two people. Ruby started to approach the two and their image had started to get clearer and clearer as she got closer. She had noticed that one of the people had been injured and he was slung across the shoulder of the other person. Ruby could tell that the person who was injured was the pilot because of his attire and the gear that he wore.

But it was only until Ruby was face to face with the other person that she realize who it was. A look of immense shock and awe had appeared in Ruby's face and the same could be said about the person that she had been reconciled with.

The soft white hair that Ruby was all so familiar with was stained black because of the smoke and ash that had covered the interior of the ship. The vibrant blue eyes that she could stare at for hours on end had started to tear up because of the smoke that had surrounded them. And the body that she wished to cuddle with every night was covered with bruises and cuts because of the Nevermore that was attached to the ship earlier.

Ruby had started to connect the dust that she saw earlier and she now knew who fended off the Nevermore earlier and she finally knew why those clouds of dust had seemed all too familiar to her. All of the emotions that Ruby had within her were nothing short of happiness but she couldn't express them because of the situation that they were in. Ruby wanted to cry because she was finally reunited with her beloved partner but all of those tears were to be saved up for later.

A loud explosion had came from behind them and it continued to rattle the already damaged ship. They were under a time limit because the ship was deteriorating with every second that they stayed in there. Ruby knew that she needed to bail both Weiss and the pilot out and there was only one way she could do that.

"Ruby, Is that you?!" Weiss blurted out with the shock that Ruby had seen coming.

"We'll talk later. But right now we need to get out of here!"

The hole that was made in the side of the ship was the only exit point that they had. Ruby scouted their height from the ground and it was definitely a long fall from where they stood. She had to take a risk and rely on her semblance to carry both the weight of Weiss and the pilot along with her. She thought that she carried Crescent Rose around and wielded it with no challenge at all. And that made her confidence increase a little bit since it seemed like she would be able to support the weight of Weiss and the pilot.

"Weiss you need to trust me on this, but we're going to jump"

"ARE YOU CRAZY! I'd rather stay on the ship and die because that will happen either way"

"We don't really have a choice Weiss"

Ruby grabbed hold of Weiss' shoulders and propped her up directly right into her face. It was a pleasant sensation to hold her like this once again after so long. But she needed to get her out of here before she could relish the moment in a more appropriate time.

"Weiss, trust me" Ruby tried to assure her.

It took a few seconds for Weiss to try and contemplate Ruby's proposal. Her heart wanted to scream out loud as she was finally together again with Ruby. She might have been even more intimate with her if they weren't in a life or death situation. So that would have to wait until this mess was dealt with.

"Fine fine. But you're going to pay for this if we both die you dolt"

"Well I'm your dolt Weiss" Ruby replied with much more emotion this time.

Weiss blushed a little bit because of what Ruby told her but that moment was short lived. She dragged the pilot along her shoulders and she knew that it would be difficult for them to jump out and carry the heavy man with them and land safely. Her summoning could still be activated and she had an idea so that the pilot would be immediately ushered into safety without them having to worry about him.

She channelled everything that she had in her in order to make one last attempt at summoning her avatar. Weiss was successful in her attempt as the bright suit of armor had materialized out of nowhere and had stood to her side.

This was the first time that Ruby had ever seen Weiss pull of such a feat and it astounded her every single bit. She knew that Weiss had practiced so hard in order to finally pull of one of these summons and it was really special to see it firsthand.

"Woah"

"I'm going to use him to carry the pilot downwards. It can take a few hits so it can probably handle a crash from this height" Weiss told Ruby.

"Well it's now or never" Ruby told her.

Weiss ordered the knight to carry the pilot and she directed it to jump off with him. It was no challenge for the summoned knight at all as it was able to carry the man without any sign of it giving in to his weight. It had proceeded to drop down towards the ground and it continued to do so in a constant speed. And in a matter of a few seconds, it landed into the ground with a loud thud with the pilot safely in tow.

The energy that Weiss had to exert in order to summon that knight had drained her massively and piled with the stress that she experienced with the fight that she had with the Nevermore, it made her dizzy and she almost fell to the ground if it weren't for the soft pair of hands that had caught her before she landed.

Ruby was there to hold her up and save her before she could fall flat on the ground. It would be hard for her to jump out of the ship because of how drained she was and she would become a burden to Ruby because of the energy she now lacked. But Ruby did something surprising as the brunette had swept her off her feet and carried her bridal style in her two arms.

"You dolt, what are you doing?" Weiss said weakly.

"I can't let my princess jump while she's injured" Ruby replied endearingly.

No matter how much Weiss wanted to help Ruby, it was futile since she was massively exhausted and she couldn't dredge up any more strength within her to proceed. All that she could do was to put all of her faith in Ruby for them to see this through. But she knew Ruby well enough to know that she didn't need her wishes for her to go through with her promise.

Ruby positioned herself mere inches away from the hole that they would jump from. The ship had started to descend at a faster rate and they both knew that she would have to jump now or the two of them would die.

"Hang on tight Weiss. This is going to be a bumpy ride!"

Weiss didn't need to hear Ruby's advice to know that she needed to tighten her grip on her. She looped her hands along Ruby's neck and she nestled her face in the crook of Ruby's neck to avoid seeing the massive height that they would jump off of. Ruby ducked a little bit in order to channel her semblance and in a blink of an eye, Ruby rocketed off outside of the hole in a cloud of rose petals and the two of them had started to descend into the ground below.

The speed that they had travelling downward felt less intimidating to Ruby as she continued to use her semblance to control their descent. She continued to turn into a tornado of rose petals to manoeuvre through the sky. Fear was no longer in Ruby's system, instead it was replaced with a feeling of pure adrenaline as she started to enjoy the speed in which they travelled at and the fast winds that blew across her face.

She continued to travel like this for a few seconds and it seemed like the danger had finally subsided. Ruby was happy to know that she had successfully saved Weiss from harm but she noticed something else while she steered them safely to the ground.

Weiss hadn't spoken a word as of yet but Ruby knew that she was conscious since her eyes trembled and her grip on her was as tight as ever. Ruby saw her blue eyes shake with fear and her heart sunk a little bit because of it. She couldn't stand Weiss being so troubled like this so she did everything that she could in order to make her feel better.

"Hey don't be afraid Weiss. I'm here now and I will never let you go anymore and I will never let anything separate us ever again"

Weiss had finally managed to calm down after what Ruby had just told her. She understood every word that ruby had said and her heart was completely captured because of it. There was a level of sincerity with the girl's tone that it had managed to make everything around her obsolete. All that Weiss could think to do was to look into those shining silver eyes of hers and find comfort in them.

Ruby had noticed that Weiss' grip on her had loosened by a lot and all that she did was look directly into her eyes. She was also confused as Weiss had a subtle smile tucked beneath her lips. That was all that Ruby needed in order to stay motivated.

Jaune and the others had caught sight of Ruby and apparently Weiss who was the person that Ruby carried with her. They made their way towards the spot where Ruby would land and they were fully prepared to help in any way that they can.

A large amount of rose petals had started to rain from the sky because of Ruby's repeated use of her semblance. She landed right in front of Jaune and the rest or RNJR and they immediately rushed in to tend to the injuries that Ruby and Weiss might have sustained.

"Are you two alright?" Jaune asked.

"A few scratches here and there but at least we're alive" Ruby replied.

"WOW! We have a new member guys!" Nora pointed out to Weiss.

"It's going to be hard to come up with a new team name" Ren joked.

"Guys, the pilot is right over there he might need some help"

Ruby pointed over to the pilot who laid flat on the ground who coughed and wheezed because of the smoke that he had inhaled. Jaune had noticed this and he nudged both Ren and Nora so that they could help the fallen man. But it was not the only reason why he did this, he knew that Ruby and Weiss wanted to be alone together so it would be a good opportunity for them to get the privacy that they deserve.

"Ren, Nora, let's help that guy over there. He might be hurt badly"

"I'll see what I can do" Ren told him.

The trio made their way towards the injured pilot and that left Ruby and Weiss with the opportunity to converse alone.

"I'm so happy that we're back together again" Ruby told Weiss while the girl laid on her lap.

"Me too. I can't believe that I have you with me again" Weiss replied as she caressed Ruby's face.

Ruby's heart fluttered because of the scene that she and Weiss were engaged in. It felt amazing to Ruby as she was finally face to face with the person that she had feelings for. She had every intention to make up for the time that they had lost together and she hoped that Weiss also wanted the same.

"Come on, you need to rest. Let's get out of here" Ruby offered.

"Gladly. But I don't exactly have any new clothes to change into" Weiss replied with much dismay.

"No worries Weiss. I have that covered" Ruby teased.

"Don't joke like that you dolt"

"I'm not joking. You can wear some of my clothes and we'll get new ones in the morning"

"Fine, let's just get out of here"

Jaune and Ren had the pilot between the shoulders and they started to approach Ruby and Weiss. They were all ready to leave since everything seemed quiet and their objective was completed. Ruby on the other hand had Weiss on her shoulders and all of them had decided to retreat back into the safety of the kingdoms walls.

The group hadn't even made it out of the crater that Nora had made and they had already felt large footsteps that had started to move towards them. The night had seemed to be endless as they were faced with yer another problem to had to be dealt with before they could all go back and retreat to their humble beds.

All of them had focused their attention towards the deeper part of the forest and they now saw what had made the ground shake. It was an Ursa major and it was as massive as once could be. Ruby and the others knew that they would have to deal with that thing before they could get some peace and quiet and they wanted nothing more than to finally get things over with that night.

"Weiss, stay over there and we'll handle this. You're not in the position to fight right now"

"I will. Just make sure to not do anything stupid and get yourself killed"

"I promise!"

Weiss stepped over to the side along with the pilot who was now conscious. They avoided the space where the fight would most likely happen in order to avoid any danger of getting caught in the crossfire. While the rest of team RNJR readied their weapons for one last time in order to take out the massive Grimm that presented itself out of the blue.

The large Ursa had roared loudly but that didn't faze Ruby and the others. They had already faced too many Grimm that night and one Ursa major wouldn't do anything to break their resolve. But while the Ursa continued to roar, Ren had picked up on a faint sound of an engine and wheels that treaded the dirt path of the forest.

It didn't take that long for Jaune, Ruby, and Nora to pick up the noise and it had started to get louder and louder as time passed. It became obvious that the sound had came from a motorcycle and that motorcycle had started to approach their location. They started to lower their weapons because the sound had completely confused them and they tried to find where the noise had come from

But all four of them didn't need to wait for long as a motorcycle had darted out of the forest like a bat out from hell and it revealed the fiery blonde that rode it.

Yang came flying out of the forest as she screamed at the top of her lungs. She was directly behind the massive Grimm and she cocked back her right arm and formed it into a fist with the intent to damage the large Ursa as much as she could.

The four of them including Weiss had their jaws dropped as they didn't expect that Yang out of all people would come out of nowhere and add in to this little reunion that they had. All of their eyes were set on the blonde as she was about to land a devastating blow to the Grimm that they were about to face.

Her right arm had already started the motion to punch and as Yang got closer to the Grimm, she finally drove her right arm directly into the Grimm's back with as much force as she could. The new arm that she had also added to the force that she exerted and to top it all off, she fired Ember Celica to maximize her damage.

A loud bang had been produced by Yang's punch and before she knew it, there was massive hole within the Ursa major's torso as it was completely blown away by the force of Yang's punch. It also surprised her that she could deal that much damage and she was ecstatic to see that she was back in shape again.

"Yeah! That's what you call a heroic entrance" Yang shouted.

"YANG!" All five of them exclaimed in surprise.

Yang made her way towards this place because she knew that a bunch of people had engaged the pack of Grimm that she heard from afar. But she would never expect such a pleasant surprise like this as Ruby, Ren, Nora, Jaune, and Weiss was there for her to meet after months of not seeing a friendly face. This already made her trip worth it and she was already excited to see what more surprises would come in the next few days of her stay in the kingdom of Mistral.

"The whole gangs here! Guess I was in time for the big reunion!"

* * *

 **Thanks for taking your time in reading this very long chapter and I hope that you enjoyed.**

 **Things have started to get a little bit more interesting since we're exploring the land of Mistral and I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Especially because there are more characters to write and I'm excited to see what I can do with each one of them. Especially Ruby and Weiss if you know what I mean.**

 **A huge part of this chapter is more focused on action and I think that I could have done some parts more better but it's all that I can do for now and I hope to improve in making more of these action sequences in the future.**

 **Also as you can see from the chapter, ships like Renora and Whiterose are sprinkled into it and I hope that you guys will like it. I decided to add them in since I think that it would be a lot of fun to write them and I especially hope to make a few Whiterose centered chapters if the story allows it and if people want a break after certain chapters.**

 **This one took quite a long time to make but as you can see, it's one of the more longer chapters in the fic and I hope that the wait was worth it for this extra long chapter.**

 **As always, thanks for reading the fic and reviews are much appreciated. See you next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

The crater that Nora had created earlier that night had turned into the setting for their small reunion. None of them expected that they would be reunited like this but Ruby, Weiss, and Yang couldn't be any more thankful that they had managed to find each other in such a short span of time after they had all reached Mistral.

The three girls hadn't seen each other in months and all that they wanted to do was to catch up. They all missed each other greatly and they wanted to know what happened to each and every one of them during the time that they spent while they were separated from each other.

"Yang, what are you doing here?" Ruby inquired first.

"Well I just couldn't let my little sis face the world alone. You need me for that and that is why I'm here"

"And don't you remember, you only left us a note so I can't deny that there's a little bit of revenge within my system right now" Yang replied with her all too familiar upbeat tone.

"Yang, what's that?" Weiss pointed to Yang's new prosthetic arm.

"I'm glad you asked. Its state of the art Atlas tech that general Ironwood sent me. It's a replacement for, well you know, my actual arm"

"It looks so cool!" Ruby remarked.

"It does, but nothing can beat the original" She replied back.

"I still can't believe that I found you two as soon as I reached Mistral" Yang added.

"Yeah me too. It took quite a while for me to reach this place and now I'm glad that I did" Ruby responded.

"Speaking of which, you grew quite a lot Ruby" Yang told her younger sister.

Yang used both of her hands in order to drag Ruby closer to her. Things had finally settled down and she now had the opportunity to inspect every little change that her younger sister might have amassed over the period of time that she spent away from home.

The one thing that Yang had noticed off the bat was the fact that Ruby had grown quite a lot and not just physically. Her entire wardrobe had changed and Yang definitely appreciated the style that Ruby added to her clothing. Yang noticed that Ruby wasn't afraid to be less conservative about her new outfit. It exposed a nice amount of Ruby's curves while still retaining the flavor that her old outfit had.

She already knew that her little sister had matured quite a lot and she couldn't believe that Ruby had also gained a lot of height. They now stood almost face to face and it looked like Ruby had even started to grow taller than her. This scared her because her pride was at stake because of her status of being the bigger sister. But that really didn't bother her much as all she wanted to do was to complement Ruby because of how much she had changed.

"Ruby I can't stress this enough but I like the new style sis. You've definitely got the same taste as your older sister"

"Well it runs in the family" Ruby replied happily.

"Plus, you've grown quite a bit. You're almost taller than me and I'm older than you"

"I don't mean to brag, but I have been drinking my milk" She boasted.

Yang laughed at the prospect of Ruby drinking milk with the hope to grow even more. But Yang couldn't deny that it produced results, clearly seen just by looking at her younger sister. Yang tried to look at Ruby's figure more and she noticed something that made her almost burst into laughter but she decided to use it to her advantage.

"I see, you have been drinking your milk. Because your height is not the only thing that grew, Rrrrrrr"

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked dumbfound.

Ruby didn't know what her sister meant when she told her that she grew. She didn't know what it was but it made her take a closer look at her sister whose eyes were clearly not focused at her. She observed where they were pointed at and it made her embarrassed to know what Yang had meant.

Her older sister subtly looked at her chest and she finally realized what Yang had meant. Ruby was at a loss for words and she didn't really know how to respond. She guessed that she had gained a lot of traits from Yang and it wasn't only limited to her personality.

The two were currently engaged in an uncomfortable situation. So much in fact that they had forgot to acknowledge the presence of Weiss who was in the sidelines as she observed everything that happened between the two sisters.

Weiss was completely frozen in place. Yang and Ruby had noticed that Weiss had somehow entered into an unconscious state while her face blushed furiously. They both tried to see what bothered Weiss and as they saw where Weiss's eyes were focused at, they both knew what had stumped the ice queen. And that was the ample chest that Ruby had and this made her blush too.

"Well well well ice queen. You'll have to take my sister to dinner first before you give looks like that" Yang joked.

Weiss had been completely knocked out of her unconscious state. It was almost as if she was bathed with ice cold water as her body became completely awake in that moment. She tried to defend herself as much as she could to at least lessen the damage that Yang had made to her credibility.

"You idiot! It's not what it looks like. I'm just trying to enjoy the moment that you two are sharing. That's all" Weiss told her angrily.

Even with the clearly irritated tone that Weiss had with her words, Yang was still persistent in trying to annoy Weiss and she knew that the ice queen didn't have the capability to fight against her when it came to situations like this.

"It looks like it's not the only thing you're enjoying" Yang teased once again.

"Yang, that's kinda gross" Ruby interjected.

"What? I'm just acknowledging that Weiss over here has a bit of a crush on my little sis"

"No I don't!" Weiss harshly commented.

The fun that Yang was having with how Weiss acted seriously grew on her and that made it hard for her to drop the whole act. But still, she wanted the two to be as close as possible and this was her way of subtly pairing the two up. Yang walked over to Weiss and she dragged her along with her as they both came back towards Ruby's position.

She placed both of her arms along their backs and Yang decided to make one big group hug for the three of them. Weiss had started to struggle under her massive embrace but she couldn't do anything because of how big Yang was compared to her. On the other hand, she thought that it would be easy for her to overpower Ruby with her massive hug. But she thought wrong as she underestimated how much Ruby had really grew and that made it a little bit harder for her to suffocate her little sister with her arms.

"You three really are a big piece of work aren't you" Jaune told them out loud.

"Oh my gosh guys. I totally forgot that Jaune and the others were here. Sorry about that Jaune"

"Don't sweat it, you guys deserve the alone time"

"All of the fighting really drained my energy. Can we get back to the comfy beds that we have guys?" Nora interrupted

"We're all tired after this eventful night and we need to get this pilot some help. I agree with Nora, we should head back and get some rest" Ren added.

"That reminds me, where do you guys stay while you're in here?" Yang asked.

"Well I don't mean to brag but we've earned quite a lot of Lien while going on some hunting missions from here and there. And when I say a lot of Lien I really mean it. So we've rented out some rooms in an inn throughout our stay in here" Ruby responded.

"Well lead the way guys!" Yang ordered.

"By the way, do you have any clothes that I can borrow?" Weiss asked with an annoyed tone.

All of them had shifted their attention towards the white haired girl who was covered with scratches and clothing that had attained many tears in its fabric all throughout. Weiss looked completely dishevelled in her current condition. Her hair had black spots in it caused by the smoke that engulfed the ship and she had noticeable wounds that were scattered along her body. They would eventually be healed by her aura but it wouldn't be effective if she didn't get the rest that she needed.

From out of the blue, Ruby spoke out and assured Weiss that she would be there to aid her with the little problem that she had with her wardrobe.

"Don't worry Weiss, I still have some extra pyjamas for you to use. They might be a little bit big for you though"

"It's not like I have any choice do I?"

"Not one bit" Ruby teased.

"Stop all of the chit chat and let's get some rest" Yang requested.

With Yang's word, the whole group along with the pilot that Jaune and Ren carried started to travel within the interior of the wall. They were finished with their duty and met some old friends along the way. They deserved the rest that they were about to get that night and they were excited to get a goodnight's sleep.

* * *

The inn was an old fashioned place compared to the dorms that the academies had within them. The rooms were decorated with simple furniture like a table and a chair that the guest can use for their own leisure. Each room also had either one to two beds that were chosen by the person who ordered the room. In their case, team RNJR originally had two rooms with two beds each in order to accommodate all of them including Ruby's uncle Qrow who now barely even stayed the night within the inn. He was too busy gathering intel and that gave him little time for rest under these harsh times.

That being said, the extra bed that Ruby had within her room was not wasted since now she had two guests within her company. Jaune and the others had dropped off the injured pilot that they had with them along the way while they also collected the huge amount of Lien that they were promised which added to their already growing fortune. Afterwards, the three of them proceeded to their own room and called it a night.

Both Ruby and Yang had decided that the night was still a little bit young and that a conversation between them and Weiss was still valid even under the amount of fatigue that they experienced with their earlier fight. Yang had removed all of her clothing besides the tank top that she had inside of her outfit and a comfy pair of shorts that she put on when she slept. Ruby on the other hand replaced all of her clothing and she now wore a pair of pyjamas that were similar in design to her old pair although a different size.

Weiss was still in the bathroom as she tidied up for the night because of all the dirt and smoke that her body absorbed throughout the whole ordeal. Yang and Ruby had decided to strike a little conversation while Weiss readied for the night and it detailed some stories that Ruby had because of their journey to make it here.

"Wait wait wait. So you're telling me that you got hunted down by a scorpion Faunus?" Yang asked.

"Yep, good thing uncle Qrow was there to save our butts"

"Well the one thing that I know he's good at is saving his nieces"

"He definitely does"

The two sisters shared a moment of laughter as they both fondly enjoy the conversation that they had. They missed moments like these when they could just talk to each other and have fun like the old times. And with the time that they were given, they intended to do just that.

Ruby had started to tell Yang about the deadliest Grimm that they had to face and in an abandoned town as well. But before Ruby could start to get into the meat of the story, their ears were graced by the soft and heavenly tune that Weiss had started to sing from inside the bathroom.

"Hey Rubes, what about your story-"

"Ssshhh, I'm trying to listen"

Yang was harshly turned away by Ruby who was completely transfixed on the illuminated door where Weiss changed her clothes. She couldn't believe that Ruby would be completely ensnared by Weiss like this so Yang decided to give her little sister some tips when it came to situations that Ruby was less acquainted with.

"Ruby, why don't you talk to Weiss and tell her about how you really feel?" Yang told her.

"Ummm what?! It's not that I like her or anything. I mean I'm not saying that I don't like her, it's just that what if she doesn't like me but maybe she does. Do you think we'll be great together? What am I saying!?"

Ruby completely broke down under the pressure that she felt with what Yang had just said. But that confirmed Yang's suspicions even more and she decided to give both Ruby and Weiss a hand and sort this thing out before they gave in to sleep. After all, they needed to make up for lost time.

"Look Rubes, what's the point in hiding your feelings now. All three of us haven't seen each other for months now and I think it's time that we make the most out of our time with each other"

"What do you think I should do?"

"Just follow my lead and everything will be fine. Let your big sis setup the scene and just be truthful about how you feel"

"Fine fine. But if this doesn't work out I'll beat you up"

"No worries, I'm the best wingman out there. And I don't really think that you can beat me up"

"Are you sure about that?"

"Well to be honest looking at you right now doesn't really increase my confidence"

"My point exactly"

The two of them had stopped talking as soon as they heard the light turn off from inside the bathroom and they settled back to their old positions in order to avoid any suspicion from Weiss. Yang had heavily anticipated this moment and she was excited to see how things would play out if she played her cards right.

Ruby on the other hand had started to tremble uncontrollably while she sat. Yang had immediately noticed this and the two of them would be caught in the act if Ruby didn't calm down at that instant. She knew that her sister had lots of confidence with her and seeing her like this had made Yang all the more motivated to help Ruby out with this little dilemma.

"Hey calm yourself down, you're going to get us caught"

"I can't help it! What if she gets mad and she'll never speak to me again"

"Oh come on, she obviously has a thing for you too"

"WHAT!?"

Before Ruby and Yang could continue to argue any further, the squeak of the bathroom door had alerted them of Weiss' presence and that made the two of them return to their regular position but Ruby still shaked slightly even with Yang's persistence that things would turn out just fine.

But Ruby's world had suddenly came to a halt because of the sight that greeted her as soon as Weiss' revealed herself from the bathroom. All of her white hair had started to flow down her back as she had undone the ponytail that she had earlier. Weiss now wore the extra pair of pajamas that Ruby had and the two of them had matching outfits because of it.

The clothes that Ruby had provided were pretty comfortable much to Weiss' surprise. She felt more free under the smooth fabric that it had and it made her feel more at home because of it. Weiss' also liked the fact that it had Ruby's fragrance embedded into it and that was the part that she secretly loved the most. The only thing that Weiss' deemed as a problem was its size.

Weiss' thought that Yang only exaggerated when she described how much Ruby had grown even though she herself could see the physical changes that Ruby had made. But now that she wore the clothes that she had, she fully acknowledged this fact even though she was the older girl. The top that she had on had plenty of room for her arms to move because of the holes that it had and it stretched until her waist. It also felt really spacious in the chest area and that damaged her moral a little bit.

Her eyes had managed to adjust to their dark surroundings as the three of them decided that the moon was good enough to serve as their lighting as the lamp that they had was too bright to their eyes and it would prevent them from relieving their stress. With her eyes finally able to see her surroundings, Weiss noticed that Yang had a menacing grin on her lips although the blonde tried to hide it from her.

Ruby was a different case. The brunette looked at her with wide eyes as if she was mystified with Weiss . She didn't know why Ruby gave her that look but she most definitely knew that Ruby had focused all of her attention to her and that made her blush a little bit.

"Sorry if the clothes don't fit you that much. I promise that we'll find you some actual clothes to wear" Ruby told Weiss.

"It's fine Ruby. Thank you for sharing them with me. Although they are really loose in some places"

Both Yang and Ruby had noticed that the extra top that Ruby had looked really big for Weiss and it started to reveal more than it should have. They both looked each other in the eye with this realization but Yang quickly gestured for Ruby to pay attention to Weiss so that they could leave that thought behind the back of their minds.

"Now regarding the terms of sleeping arrangements, there are only two beds and there are three of us" Weiss pointed out.

"Don't look at me princess. I've been sitting on a hard seat for days and this is the comfiest bed that I've been on for a while. Looks like you'll be sleeping with Ruby for the night"

Ruby had shot Yang a sharp glance but Yang just winked at her while she ignored her sister's constant pleas to stop what she was doing. Before Weiss could have a say on anything, Ruby immediately stepped up in order to provide an alternate solution for their arrangement.

"It's okay Weiss. I can sleep on the floor if you're not comfortable sharing the bed with me" Ruby offered.

"Nonsense. It's fine Ruby I don't mind at all"

Weiss made her way over to Ruby's bed and sat beside her on the edge of it. Ruby's mind was completely rattled at that point and she tried to find every ounce of confidence within her in order to sustain herself. Yang in the meantime, tried to hide all of the excitement that she had and she stopped herself from almost leaping out in triumph because everything had started to fall into place.

"So Weiss, how did Atlas treat you? Although judging by you travelling here I guess it wasn't really good wasn't it" Yang asked.

"It was absolutely terrible. My father stripped me of my title and almost trapped me in there forever. Good thing that I managed to escape here with some help from a very close friend"

"That's horrible. Well at least you have the two of us with you now. We'll treat you better than your family ever could" Yang replied.

"I know that. And I'm happy that we're together again" Weiss replied with an authentic smile.

Yang was about to continue the conversation even further but she noticed in the corner of her eye that Ruby had a blank expression on her face. She was worried why her sister looked like this but she decided to not draw any attention to it as to not cause her any shame or embarrassment. Yang was about to ask Weiss another question but Ruby beat her to the punch and asked a question of her own.

"Weiss, can I ask you something?" Ruby asked as she maintained that expression on her face.

Weiss moved her eyes towards Ruby and she now noticed the look that Ruby had on her face. It looked like she was really deep in thought and it bugged Weiss because she wanted to know what Ruby had on her mind.

"Sure, I've fought a Nevermore tonight and almost fell to my death. What's one more question compared to that" Weiss said confidently.

"Have you ever had feelings for anyone before?"

In an instant, Yang's heart had suddenly flat lined as she screamed within herself with complete shock and awe. Her face also told this feeling as her jaw had widened and her eyes were completely open and awake because of Ruby's sudden interest on how Weiss felt for other people.

Not even Weiss could anticipate the question that Ruby had asked her. The question really didn't bother her that much but she wondered why Ruby asked it in the first place.

"Why do you want to know?" Weiss asked but with a calm tone.

"No reason. Just wondering that's all" Ruby responded.

Weiss knew that she had to be careful with her words but she also wanted to answer as truthfully as possible. She had already decided what her answer would be and she was sure that it would be the best one to respond with.

"I actually had feelings for a person before. Until now actually" Weiss answered.

Yang almost lost her balance as she sat from the edge of her bed because she never knew that Weiss felt these emotions before. She knew that Weiss fooled around with Neptune for a while but she never knew that it went to that level. But it was understandable for her to feel those emotions but Yang had a hard time in trying to digest it.

She looked over to her sister to see how Ruby reacted but Yang got instantly worried as Ruby still had that emotionless look on her face and she leaned her face over to her right hand as if she was trying to come to terms with what Weiss had just said. But Yang continued to listen to Weiss as she continued to elaborate on her answer.

"Wow Weiss, never knew that you had a thing for another person before" Yang asked as she tried sound enthusiastic.

"To be honest, I never really thought that I would have feelings for this person. Because we're complete opposites"

"I was conservative and barely trusted other people besides the ones that were close to me back in Atlas. But the person that I fell for had so much energy and was never shy to make new friends"

"I was hesitant at first to interact with this person since I felt totally annoyed by the positivity and total lack of maturity that this person had. But as we bonded with each other, we continued to grow alongside one another and I'm not afraid to admit that this person changed me and I wouldn't be who I am now because of them"

"What I'm saying is, I owe a lot to this person and I would be glad if we both felt the same for each other" Weiss ended.

Yang was completely enthralled with how Weiss described her feelings of affection as she never saw this side of Weiss even before they left Beacon. She never knew that the so called ice queen actually had a heart within her and that it was capable of showing emotion of this level.

Although Yang was a little dismayed because she knew that Ruby had listened to Weiss' statement and how she had deep feelings for another person that she could only guess to be Neptune. Ruby looked even more bothered than she was earlier and that worried Yang a lot. She must have been heartbroken but Yang knew that Ruby wouldn't want to draw attention to it so Yang just tried to play off her worries and try to confirm whether or not her guess was right on who Weiss had feelings for.

"Call me surprised, I never knew that you and Neptune had a bond like this before" Yang told her.

Weiss gave Yang a puzzled look as soon as she heard what Yang had said. Yang didn't know what she did wrong, but she guessed that it was probably because she assumed incorrectly and that Weiss had some other person in her mind as she related her experiences.

"Please Yang, I know that I had a stint with Neptune but it wasn't really anything special"

"Oh, I see. Well, who is he then?" Yang asked.

Weiss let out a small snicker of her own as Yang was once again wrong with her assumption. She finally decided that it was finally time to reveal the cards that she had and all that she could do was to hope for the best.

"I don't remember that I mentioned a _he_ with my answer, didn't I?" Weiss responded.

"Oooh Weiss, I never knew that you had this side within you"

"I know, that's why I was scared at first because I was confused with how I felt. But now I've come to terms with it and I've finally decided to be truthful about how I feel"

Yang was now beyond intrigued as things had started to go into a whole other level because of what Weiss had revealed to them. But a small spark of hope had ignited within Yang as it seemed like Weiss was trying to ease her way in towards her true revelation.

But what surprised her even more was that Ruby had finally broken the silence that loomed over her and it seemed like the two of them had the same idea on what had started to transpire. So she asked a question frantically at Weiss in order to end the unsteady beat of her heart.

"Well, who is it then?" Ruby finally asked.

Weiss removed her focus from Yang and diverted all of her attention to the beautiful brunette that sat beside her. She was finally ready to reveal her feelings and her true intentions for telling her story and she just wished that some miracle might happen and that Ruby would also feel the same towards her. She admitted that she was scared at the thought of being let down. But that didn't matter anymore, they were partners and they would continue to be even if her feelings were denied right then and there.

She looked at Ruby's silver eyes for one last time before she took one last breath and plunged directly into what she wanted to say so that Ruby may hear it loud and clear.

Ruby felt Weiss' face position itself at the base of her shoulder as she leaned ever so close to her as she rested over it. Ruby's heart had started to beat faster than ever and she tried to brace herself for the answer that Weiss was about to give her.

"Ruby you dolt, it was you. That person was always you. I thought that you would have caught up by now" Weiss told her.

A small squeal of happiness came out of Yang but she tried to conceal it as much as possible so that the moment that Ruby and Weiss had would not be broken. Her heart had started to pound hard and she knew that Ruby shared same feelings. The uncomfortable silence that grew inside the room had made Yang all the more eager to hear Ruby's response and she wanted to scream at her little sister to finally tie the knot and end the suspense once and for all.

Weiss still laid her face comfortably on Ruby's shoulder but a sense of doubt had started to form within her. The long silence did nothing but increase this feeling as it felt like Ruby was at a loss for words after her sudden confession. She thought that her fears were finally realized and that Ruby was silent because of the shock and utter ridiculousness of what Weiss had just said.

She resented the feelings of sadness that had start to manifest within her but she knew that her wish would not be granted that night. Weiss decided to end the tension that was around them even though it would result with an awkward night and an even more awkward relationship between her and Ruby. Weiss had started to accept her defeat and she sighed out of disappointment and shame.

The weight that she had applied on Ruby's shoulder disappeared as she removed it to avoid having any physical contact with Ruby. Weiss thought that she needed to apologize for the whole ordeal and that was what she wanted to do.

"Look Ruby, I'm sorry that I bothered you. I promise that I won't mention it ever aga-"

"Do you mean it!?"

Ruby's high-pitched voice had suddenly interrupted Weiss' apology with a question of her own. Weiss felt obligated to answer as it was the only logical thing to do at that moment to clear everything up between the two of them.

"Of course. Do you really think that I'll joke about things like that?" Weiss told her back.

"Are you sure that you really want to have feelings for me? The stupid, immature, and annoying little kid called Ruby"

"Let me tell you something Ruby Rose. You might be all three of those things but there is one thing that stands above them all"

"What?"

Weiss leaned over with a smile on her face and placed both of her hands on the base of Ruby's neck and wrapped them both around her. She moved closer to Ruby and they were so close to each other that they could feel each other's breaths and that made the situation all the more intimate.

"You're the one person that I fell madly in love with" Weiss finally answered.

Ruby felt like her heart was pierced with a massive arrow because of what Weiss had confessed to her. She thought that Yang was right after all that they both had mutual feelings for each other. Ruby knew that it was now or never and she needed to make her move in order to seal the deal between the two of them.

"Well that's funny"

"Why? I'm really not in the joking mood Ruby" Weiss told her with annoyance.

Ruby found it adorable that Weiss hadn't caught on with her even though she did the same earlier. But she was very serious with the commitment that she was about to make and what she was about to say was no joke but the truth that she wanted to tell the girl right in front of her ever since they reunited that night.

"It's because I feel the same thing about you"

Even though Weiss was dubbed the name ice queen, her whole world had started to freeze and her body had started to feel hot after what Ruby had just told her. She was in complete disbelief as Ruby said those words out loud with a bright smile in her face which made Weiss truly believe that Ruby told her nothing but the truth.

But the surprises that Ruby had in store for Weiss was not yet done. She placed both of her arms on Weiss' waist and she pulled her even closer than before. Weiss felt Ruby's nose brush up against her own and that made her heat up and blush even more.

While this happened, Yang was dying of anticipation as she cupped her mouth with both of her arms as she tried to become as still as possible and prevent herself from bouncing around all over the place. Things had started to escalate into something more than she could ever think of and she was excited to see whether or not Ruby would actually have the guts to go through with what she had in mind.

All of Yang's doubts had been silenced as Ruby closed her eyes and fully enveloped Weiss' face as she went in for the kiss that the two of them had longed for and deserved. Weiss felt uneasy at first as Ruby had completely caught her off guard. But she slowly calmed herself down and after a few moments, she was finally able to fully enjoy the intimacy that Ruby initiated and the two of them were finally in the same page regarding their relationship.

This was the first time that the two of them had ever kissed anyone romantically. But they didn't care as the only thing that mattered to them was the emotion that went into their exchange. Ruby could feel what Weiss truly felt for her as they both locked their lips together and she was happy to know that she didn't need to hide her true feelings know that the two of them could finally be honest with each other.

They both enjoyed the heat of the act and it amplified the sensation even more but after a few more seconds, Ruby ended the kiss that they shared and she stared at the beautiful blue eyes that Weiss had and she was happy to see that Weiss had a large smile on her face and that made her grin with happiness too.

Suddenly, a loud noise came from Yang as she bounced around her bed while she started to scream at the top of her lungs.

"FINALLY! You two were about to kill me with all of that tension and drama"

"Well sorry about that sis"

"You better be, the two of you boneheads liked each other from the start and never said anything about it"

"Do you really think that this was easy for me to do?" Weiss replied.

"Oh come on ice queen, you're obviously madly in love with my sister and you didn't even notice that she had a little crush on you back at beacon"

"That doesn't matter anymore Yang. All I know is that I love Weiss and that's what I care about"

Ruby placed her hand on Weiss' shoulders and she embraced her completely. Doing this had become easier for her since the two of them could finally be in a relationship that can benefit from small moments of intimacy like this. And it looked like Weiss was on board with it as she rested her head on Ruby's shoulder while she let her stroke the white hair that flowed behind her back.

"Ruby Rose, can I be your one and only ice queen?" Weiss asked her enthusiastically.

"Of course. Weiss Schnee, can I be your one and only magnificent rose?" Ruby replied.

"From the bottom of my heart, yes"

"YOU TWO LOOK SO CUTE TOGETHER!" Yang interrupted.

The two girls diverted their attention towards Yang who still freaked out even after everything was settled and done for the night.

"Good job on keeping things romantic sis. You're one heck of a wingman" Ruby said sarcastically.

"I can't help it. Seeing all of these sparks flying just makes me so happy"

"Guys I don't mean to interrupt, but I'm kind of feeling sleepy now" Weiss told the two of them.

The night had already started to reach its peak and the three of them knew that it already started to become late. They were all tired and there was nothing more than they had wanted besides a goodnight's sleep and some adequate rest.

"Well I'm beat too. Let's call it a night you two. And by the way, you're still sleeping in the same bed okay" Yang told them.

"It's fine, nothing like a good night's sleep with my cute little ice queen"

"Just be sure that you won't be a messy sleeper. I don't want to be woken up late at night if you sleep too recklessly" Weiss replied with her familiar sassiness back.

"Whatever you say. Maybe I won't be so jittery if we both cuddled" Ruby proposed.

"I guess that's a reasonable idea. As long as we respect each other's boundaries then I'm okay with our arrangement" Weiss said with a smile.

As soon as everything was settled, Ruby tackled Weiss into their bed and she almost choked her under the massive hug that she had placed on her. Weiss couldn't believe that the two of them could actually do these kinds of things as a couple now. She rested her face just below Ruby's chin in between her chest and the two of them were ready to sleep for the night.

"Goodnight Weiss, don't worry because I'll never let go of you anymore"

"Thank you Ruby, I love you"

"I love you too Weiss"

The two of them had finally exchanged their goodnights and they both proceeded to enter the realm of sleep as they both cuddled together and shared their warmth for the rest of the night. Yang had a small smile on her face as she observed her two teammates who were now finally together after months of separation. Her mission was complete and she was happy to know that she had a part in making the two of them reveal their true feelings to each other.

That being said, Yang was still tired and all of her energy was drained for the rest of the night. She yawned and that signalled that she was ready for sleep. Yang took one last look at her artificial right arm before she used her left hand to unhinge the seals that it had on her stub. She gripped the metallic arm hard as she tried to prepare herself for the sensation that she was about to feel as soon as she pulled it out from its bonds. Even though it was easy to put on, the arm needed to be connected to Yang internally in some way and that was through her aura which connected the arm to the rest of her nerves. Putting it on was easy but taking it out would leave a slight shock of pain as her nerves would have to be disconnected to the arm. Yang took a few deep breaths in order to coax herself to remove the metallic arm. And after she took three sharp breaths, Yang suddenly pulled the arm that she had attached and she let out a small grunt in order to acknowledge the shock that came from it getting disconnected to her.

"That stings like hell" Yang told herself.

She placed the arm right on top of the small cabinet that stood between the two beds and she was now ready to fully turn in for the night. Yang faced away from the window in order to avoid getting blinded by the bright rays of moonlight that streamed inside their room. Because of this, she was able to take one last look at both Ruby and Weiss who were now happily asleep as they both laid in each other's arms. They looked at peace together and Yang was slowly eased by the cuteness that the two had as they cuddled with each other.

Overtime, Yang slowly got more drowsy and her eyes had started to drop because she slowly surrendered to the sleep that was about to overtake her. But before she could completely fall under the effects of sleep, there was one last thought that crossed her mind because of the embrace that Ruby and Weiss shared.

And as Yang's eyes finally envelop her world in darkness, her mind had one last question to ask before she completely passed out.

"What's it like to sleep with the person you love next to you?"

* * *

 **Thanks for reading the chapter and we're back again after a few weeks.**

 **I just wanted to make this chapter as a bridge from the previous and intended it to be just pure fluff just to get a breather after the many things that happened last time. Also thought that it would be fun to write some whiterose in and this is my way on having a little bit of fun with the two cute dorks.**

 **But don't worry, things will be back on track next chapter and the main story will once again resume back to Blake and Sun's perspective.**

 **Also one thing that I would like to mention for the sake of accuracy is the current timeline in which the events take place in. The travel times between each character's perspective locations towards Mistral are very far fetched since both Weiss and Yang only took a couple of days each in order to reach Mistral. This was a necessary adjustment because too much time would be lost if the time that they traveled would be accurate and would leave a lot of gaps within the story.**

 **Well that's all for now. Thank you for reading the fic and reviews are much appreciated, see you next time!**


	19. Chapter 19

The large boat had encountered no problems as it fluidly travelled across the vast sea. The day was perfect to sail the tides as the sun was high above the sky and the winds blew a steady breeze which helped in pushing to boat towards its destination.

Throughout the entire week that the boat had travelled, there were no inconveniences that were present to disrupt its flow of travel and that made it for it to reach the continent of Anima. It was a large land mass which also held the kingdom of Mistral, the final destination that Sun and Blake were headed towards. The two of them were present on the deck of the ship as it inevitably came to its final approach towards land.

Birds chirped above them and the sound of waves that crashed along the hull of the ship had managed to add to the calm atmosphere that the final stage of their trip had. They both looked over the distance as their eyes recognized the faintest outline of land over the horizon. Sun was excited to see his old home again after the many months that he spent away from it. He was also glad that he would be able to reunite with the rest of his team and especially Neptune who he needed to meet as soon as possible.

Blake was enthusiastic to set foot on Mistral as she had never been to that kingdom before. Sun had told her many good things about it especially how simple life was compared to the other kingdoms . She was also excited to get exposed to the culture of the kingdom and how things worked there because of how Sun described it to her. It would be another adventure on its own and she was glad that she didn't need to be alone in this one. Now that she had Sun by her side to keep her company along the way.

"We're almost there! Just a few more minutes then we'll finally be off of this ship" Sun told her.

"I know it doesn't show but I'm really excited to see Mistral" Blake said with a smile.

"It's a great place. Kind people, beautiful landmarks, and lots of public events that really bring folks together"

"But there is one thing that I'm concerned with"

"Well what is it?" Sun asked with a concerned tone.

Blake reached into her right pocket and pulled out a brand new black bow that she held in her arms. Sun knew the significance of this object to Blake and it symbolized how much she hid her true self from the people around her. He knew that Mistral was a safe enough place and Blake really didn't have the need to wear that bow once again. Sun also didn't want Blake to seclude herself like she did in the past as he knew that this would be unhealthy for her personality.

"Do you think that I'll need this?" Blake asked Sun

"Hey, Mistral is safe enough for Faunus like us. You don't need to hide who you really are anymore"

"But times have changed Sun. How long was it since you've last been there?"

"Definitely a long time. But Mistral is my home and it always will be. I just hope that it can also feel like home to you"

"I don't know Sun. I just don't feel comfortable being vulnerable for people to see"

Sun could see how concerned Blake was for her wellbeing. All of the traumatic experiences that she had in her life had produced this effect on her and it saddened Sun that she doesn't feel safe around people she doesn't know. He needed to be strong for her and he had to do everything in order to keep Blake safe from other people and from how she felt towards herself.

As Blake looked at the bow that she had in her hand, she noticed in the corner of her eye that Sun extended out a hand towards her and he signalled her to hand over the bow.

"Come on, trust me on this one" Sun said calmly.

Somehow, Sun's voice had managed to ease the anxiety that slowly crept in her stomach and she felt much more relieved as she heard the tone of his voice. It made her easily give up the bow that she had and Sun had it within his grasp in just a matter of seconds. Blake wondered what Sun would do with it but she didn't have to wait for long as Sun placed it in his right hand and chucked it overboard and it slowly got swept by the breeze and in the end, swallowed by the deep water.

"That's the second bow that I've lost in sea" Blake told Sun.

"Doesn't matter if you're not going to need it"

"I just hope that you're right"

Blake's negativity had subsided just a little bit but Sun could still feel it in the air. He didn't want the rest of the day to be ruined for Blake just because she had some doubts about how people would treat her. It killed Sun to see the girl that she loved in a state like this and he wanted nothing more than to envelop her in his arms and make her feel safe under his embrace.

He turned Blake over and they now looked at each other face to face as Sun wanted to have a heart to heart with Blake regarding her dilemma. Sun looked her in the eye like the many times that he'd done in the past as he tried to absorb every ounce of affection into his words in order for them to sound as heartfelt as possible.

Sun grabbed Blake's waist and he pulled her closer even more. Their bodies now touched and he had all of Blake's attention to work with as he tried to sort this thing out without making her feel uncomfortable.

"Blake, don't try to hide who you are anymore because you don't deserve it. You've done everything in your power to reach this point in your life and it would be bad if you returned back to your old ways"

"Just believe me in saying that you will be safe. Because you're not alone anymore. You have me after all" Sun ended.

It took a few seconds before Blake could absorb the words that Sun had told her. As always, his words had always enchanted her and it managed to fully lift all of the worries that she had within her heart. It also helped that he was pressed closer to her and she most certainly enjoyed the more physical parts of their relationship like this.

Even after the weeks that they had spent together, Blake still couldn't believe at times that she was finally together with a person like Sun. She was thankful for each day that she had spent together with him as they were filled with nothing but happiness and love. And moments like this just manage to keep her surprised and more in love with him as it is.

"Thanks Sun. I really appreciate you doing this for me"

"Don't sweat it. After all, what kind of a boyfriend would I be if I don't keep you safe at all times"

"You do have a point"

The serious tone of their conversation had been a thing of the past as both Sun and Blake shared a moment of laughter between the two of them. They really couldn't be any more happier than with each other and it made the two of them all the more closer.

Blake and Sun both leaned closer to each other and they shared a little peck in the lips as they ended their conversation. Physical contact between the two of them was something that always made their hearts beat faster and every kiss always felt like a surprise to them. Not that they didn't like the feeling. On the contrary, it made each kiss more special as it felt genuine and filled with love.

Sun held Blake's right hand while she leaned on his shoulder as they both anticipated and marveled over the continent of Anima in the distance. They would approach the port of Mistral in just a few more minutes and they were both finally prepared to set food on solid land once again.

* * *

All of the passengers within the ship had converged within the deck as they had finally docked safely on the port and the ship's platform was about to open up for all of them to disembark. The whole crowd was filled with unrest as they were all eager to finally leave the ship after a week of staying within it. But right in front of the crowd was both Blake and Sun as they held hands together, ready to charge out of the ship as soon as it allowed them to.

The captain of the ship spoke through the intercom that was integrated into its system and he tried to give a few more messages before he let all of the people out of the ship.

"This is your captain speaking, we have finally arrived in Mistral and in just a few seconds we will finally be unfolding the ramp and all of you can safely disembark from the ship. The weather is nice and warm so enjoy your stay within the kingdom of Mistral folks"

The captain's words were quickly ended by static which signalled that he was done using the intercom. Sun knew that the ramps had started to unfold as the mechanical whir of engines had started to appear out of thin air and he clutched Blake's hand even more in anticipation for their arrival in Mistral.

"After a week of gruelling sea travel we're finally here!" Sun blurted out happily.

"What do you mean grueling, I enjoyed the ride while it lasted"

"You might've, after all, you had a lot of books to read while we stayed there"

"Hey, don't talk to me like you didn't enjoy the ride as well. We spent the whole trip cuddling at night so don't tell me that all of it was bad"

"You have a point. I don't know if we're going to have that opportunity tonight though"

"Of course we will. Unless you want to spend the night with your team, then I'm fine with that" Blake told Sun with a genuine concern.

Sun had spent a lot of time away from his team and it was impossible for him to keep in touch regularly because of the current communication problem that Remnant had in its hands. The only time that he was able to communicate with them was via a letter that he sent days before they made their trip to Mistral and he failed to receive a reply from Neptune.

But he had faith in Neptune and he was sure that his best friend won't let him down with the favor that he asked from him. Sun told Neptune and the rest of the team to meet them at the port that day so that he could have the company of his friends while they all tried to tour Blake along the city. The two of them also needed to discuss more important matters and a problem that he didn't want Blake to go through anymore.

Sun realized that he paused a little bit too long for comfort and he saw that Blake had offered her to spend the night with his teammates as she knew that he really wanted to spend time with them again. Even though Sun appreciated the offer that Blake had given him, he fully intended to stay with Blake throughout their stay in Mistral. Simply being the fact that he didn't want to be separated from her and he also knew that Blake wanted to be around someone as much as possible and he wanted to be that person for her.

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I think I'll pass"

Blake gave off a puzzling look as she didn't know why Sun denied her request. It was her way of showing that she knew that Sun had needs too and she wondered why Sun was able to easily turn down the offer despite the fact that he missed Neptune and the others so much.

"But why? Don't you want to spend time with Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet?"

"I do want to spend time with them and that's exactly why I told them to meet us here"

"I know but, don't you want to spend the whole day with them?"

Sun was amused on how hard Blake tried to insist for him to stay with Neptune and the others as she thought that it was what he wanted. What Blake didn't know was that Sun had already made up his mind and he'd rather prefer staying in bed with a beautiful girl like her rather than staying at the dorm room that their team had in Haven academy.

"It's okay Blake. I don't really like the idea of you being alone for the night and I'm sure that the guys can understand that"

"You don't think that I can handle myself for one night don't you?" Blake asked slightly annoyed.

This just made Sun snicker even more as Blake really had the wrong idea for his reasons on why he wanted to stay with her.

"I know that you can handle yourself but I want to be with you don't you get it?"

"You'd rather stay the night with me even though you haven't seen your best friends for months?"

"Hey I told you that I'd make the most out of our time together. Even nights are no exception" Sun replied.

Blake smiled because of how much Sun cared for her. She did worry that she would have to spend the night all by herself but she wanted to do something for Sun and that was the offer that she gave him. And seeing that Sun denied it for her sake, she decided to be extra sweet with him that day in order to repay him.

"Fine if that's what you want. You really don't want to break our cuddling streak don't you?" Blake told him with a smile.

"Of course I don't. No day is complete if I don't spend it beside the girl that I'm in love with" Sun told her.

"Well if it means anything, I'm willing to be more romantic tonight" she replied with confidence.

"That's exciting but let's not do anything too weird okay?"

"Of course. Just sweet and innocent romance between the two of us"

Their conversation unfortunately had been cut short as a loud thud came from the impact caused by the ramp as it fully made contact with the stone pavement of the port. All of the passengers were able to freely leave the ship as they pleased and Sun dragged Blake behind his back as he rushed right in front of the whole crowd and the two of them were the first ones to set foot on the kingdom of Mistral.

Sun's energy was completely off the scales as soon as he realized that he was back in Mistrali soil. He missed the atmosphere of the place and he almost couldn't believe that the two of them had finally arrived in this kingdom.

Blake had to catch her breath as Sun dragged her off immediately after the ramp had fully formed and the sudden burst of energy that she needed to exert had managed to tire her out a little bit. The whole boat trip had made her more susceptible to physical activities as her whole body was rusty after days of doing nothing strenuous. Sun had stopped in his tracks and that gave Blake the ability to regain her composure after being exhausted.

She was about to give Sun a mouthful after dragging her off like that but Blake noticed that Sun had a large smile on his face as he was completely transfixed with the scene around them. Blake didn't know at first why Sun had suddenly frozen in place, she was about to ask him what was wrong but her eyes had managed to see the same sights that Sun had seen and that made her mirror the same reaction that Sun had on his face.

The whole port that they had stood on was filled with as much life as a major kingdom could have. Many different kinds of people had gathered there to either maintain their businesses through selling products or engaging with each other without a single care in the world. It reminded her of how lively the kingdom of Vale was but the main difference was how traditional the people lived.

Only a few pieces of technology could be seen around her and they were in the form of the airships that travelled to the other districts and scrolls that some of the vendors used in order to calculate sales and many other things. The whole atmosphere made her feel somewhat at home since the same scene that was right in front of her could be a mirror image to what life was like back in Menagerie.

Blake was completely enamoured by the sights that she saw and what excited her even more was the structures that were present beyond the boundary of the port. They looked very much differently from the buildings that she saw back in Vale as they looked more artistic in design rather than the industrial feel that Vale gave off.

The two of them had realized that they stood in front of the large crowd that populated the port and they had started to become an inconvenience for the people who walked around the place. Mistral had dredged up some good memories from the two of them and it was a nice feeling to have after the boat trip that they took.

"So, first impressions on Mistral?" Sun asked.

"It's only been a few seconds, but I think I'll like it here"

"See, I told you that it's a great place. And by the way, aren't you noticing anything?" Sun asked with a bit of a smile.

"What is it?" Blake hadn't caught on to what Sun had asked her and she wanted to know what it was.

Sun pointed at the base of his head which obviously meant that he was talking about her ears. The initial shock of entering Mistral for the first time had managed to make her forget that she was worried about getting noticed by people because of her Faunus traits. But that didn't seem to be the case as the people around them didn't even bat an eye or pay attention to them for more than just a second as they all continued to go on with their daily lives.

Blake caressed her cat ears as a wave of relief had washed over her body. Sun had tried to dispel her worries earlier and she felt stupid that she didn't believe him in the first place. It was safe to say that her time in Mistral would be comfortable as all of the earlier doubts that she had with the kingdom were removed in one fell sweep.

"Told you that people wouldn't mind" Sun told Blake.

"Fine I believe you now. Well what's next? It's not like we're going to stay here for the rest of the day"

"Well if everything went right, Neptune and the gang would know that they need to meet us today outside the entrance to the port. So let's head over there and pray that he got my message"

"Lead the way"

Their current goal was to reach the entrance to the port and see if Neptune and the rest of team SSSN had received Sun's letter. Blake never really spent a large amount of time with Sun's team and she was curious to see on how they all acted as a single unit. But by judging them through Sun and Neptune's personalities, all of them would probably be laid back and goofy just by looking at their leader and his best friend.

Sun still clutched Blake's hand as they made their way through the crowd and became one with it as they tried to reach the end of the street that lead directly to the port. They were on the left side of the street as the right side was designated for the people that wanted to make their way within the interior of the port. But since Sun and Blake had to go to the exit, they stayed in the left side in order to avoid disrupting the flow of traffic and fluidly move along with the crowd that were also ready to step foot outside of the market.

They continued to push through the crowd until they finally reached the end of the street where most of the people also stopped in order to greet their loved ones who met them there and the people that continued to linger around the place even after they made their way outside.

Blake saw that a lot of people had smiles on their faces as they reunited with family and friends that waited for them there or the people who continued to live their lives amongst the people that they knew. She was excited to see what would unfold after Sun would reunite with the rest of his teammates and her mind couldn't think of any other result that would not leave her amused just because of how rowdy those group of boys could be. And as she looked at the large smile that was plastered on Sun's face, Blake already knew that things were about to get entertaining if the whole of team SSSN were able to reunite with each other once again.

"Do you see any sign of them Blake?" Sun asked.

The large crowd that had continued to form outside of the port had made it difficult for the two of them to look for any sign of Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet. But the two weren't discouraged by this fact and their eyes continued to scan around the area, hoping that they can find any clue to the whereabouts of the three boys.

"Can't really see anything with all these people around" Blake replied.

"It's going to be such a chore to find them with this large crowd"

"Wait, I have an idea. But I need you to be quiet"

"What are you going-"

Sun was immediately interrupted by a sharp hush from Blake who closed her eyes and tried to be as composed as she could.

"Sssshh, I told you to shut up for just a bit" Blake told him.

All that Sun could do was scratch his head because he had absolutely no idea what Blake had on her mind. The one thing that concerned him at the time was that his team did not receive the letter that he wrote them earlier and they had no idea that the two of them were back in Mistral. It wasn't really a big problem for the two of them as he knew that they could just visit them back at their old dorm. But what Sun worried about was the fact that Neptune wouldn't be able to get the information that he requested since he wouldn't have known about it in the first place if they didn't receive the letter.

Sun just let out a loud sigh and he continued to survey the area as he hoped that there would be chance that they would be at the port like he told them to. But as he was looking around, Sun noticed that Blake was still locked in her earlier position and he wondered what Blake had tried to do. He did noticed that Blake's cat ears had started to be more active than usual as it moved in up and down in a steady rhythm.

"What are you trying to do exactly?" Sun asked.

"Well if it wasn't obvious enough, I'm trying to hear the voices around us as much as possible. And if I recognize any one of their voices, then we'll be able to find them"

"I wish that my tail could do cool things like that. All it does is make balancing a little bit easier" He replied.

Blake continued to focus and hear around her as much as possible. The varying amount of voices around her had made it hard for her to get a concrete read on the people around her. But it was their only hope of finding them in a place like this and she trusted in her ability to track the three of them down. Sun just continued to look at Blake as she performed this process as he really didn't have any option than that.

When almost all hope was lost, Blake's ears had suddenly stood up on end and it meant that Blake had hit a voice that she recognized. It was a high-teenager voice that very much resembled Neptune's own voice and she could also hear trace amounts of two more people who sounded like they were arguing with one another.

"Sun, I think I got them"

"Are you sure?"

"Not really, but what choice do we have"

"Well we won't know if we don't try. Lead the way sonar cat!"

"That's not going to stick"

With her eyes still closed, Blake proceeded to walk towards the direction where she heard those voices. She started to push people to the side in order to pave the way for her while Sun followed behind her back, intrigued on how Blake could do these things without him having prior knowledge of it.

The two of them continued to walk towards one direction and as they did, the crowd continued to get thinner as they continued to go by the people that were around them. The voices that Blake could hear had managed to become fainter and fainter and it made it easier for her to latch on to the one voice that she was interested to locate.

Blake's hearing continued to get clearer and clearer and the voice that she had on her head had become clear and audible and she was now able to recognize what the person was saying and the other people that they were talking to.

Without any doubt, Blake already knew that her hunch was correct and she clearly recognized Neptune's voice alongside Scarlet and Sage and they clearly had a conversation between the three of them. Before she continued to walk any further, Blake decided to listen to what the three of them were saying just to validate whether or not her hunch was correct.

"Guys we should go inside the port, Sun and Blake are probably waiting for us in there!" Came from a voice that Blake could only attribute to Neptune.

"Are you kidding me? There's so much people in there, my hair would get ruined" A voice that clearly represented Scarlet in both tone and attitude.

"Well he did say to wait outside of the port Neptune" The last voice was calm and moderated which meant that it was probably Sage who confronted Neptune.

"Way to go guys. You two are really being supportive of our leader" Neptune scolded them.

The amusing banter that came from the three of them had made Blake laugh a little bit as she enjoyed the commotion that transpired among them. This made her even more excited to see the four of them reunite and that moment was not far as she was certain where Sun's team is currently located.

Sun had noticed that Blake let out a little laugh in the middle of them walking. He thought that she must've found something that was of note and he tried to ask Blake what made her laugh like that.

"You hear something interesting?" Sun asked.

"Yep, it's Neptune and the others. I found them" Blake told him happily.

"Yes! Well what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Sun's sudden explosion of happiness had made Blake run towards the voices that she heard in order for the two of them to meet up with the three of them. Sun was so ecstatic to see his teammates again and the feeling was contagious as Blake was also elated to see the three of them personally.

The two of them had rushed towards the left most part of the street that they had exited into and it was just a few meters away from the exit of the port. The adrenaline that rushed to their bodies had managed to fuel their drive to reach their destination. And in just a matter of a few short seconds, Sun was finally able to see the image of his three close friends as Neptune still tried to argue with both Scarlet and Sage as he tried to convince them to go inside the port and look for Sun there.

Seeing his team for the first time in months had made Sun happy inside and he jumped around in joy as he was finally able to spend time with his rag tag group of friends. The heated argument that had started to spark between them had reminded Sun of how wild his team was and he missed that feeling for a very long time. But in order to kick things off, he decided to break things up between the three of them and focus all of the spotlight towards him.

"Hey numskulls! I'm right over here you know!" Sun screamed.

Simultaneously, the three boys had pointed their heads towards the voice that had suddenly interrupted their conversation. One by one, each and every one of them especially Neptune, had started to form large smiles across their faces and they shook in excitement as their fearless leader was once again present and right before their eyes.

"SUN!" The three of them screamed.

"Well what are you waiting for?! Come give me some love!"

As soon as Sun let those words out of his mouth, Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage had suddenly turned rabid and they all started to rush towards Sun with their arms held high. Things had already started to get wild and full of energy as both Blake and Sun were happy that they were able to meet up with Sun's friends as quickly as possible.

Blake still had a large smile on her face as she was very happy and gratified that Sun was finally able to experience being able to reunite with basically the people that he treated as family. The smile that she on was mixed with a slight mix of concern as Neptune and the others had continued to barrel towards Sun in an unsafe rate. If this were to continue, someone might get hurt and Blake tried to advice Sun to move to the side in order to avoid any accidents.

"Ummm Sun, I think that you should step to the side" Blake recommended.

"Why? I haven't seen them in months. A little group hug won't hurt"

"But I really think that someone might get hurt if you don't move"

"Come on Blake, I took hits for you in the past. What's a little tackle from the boys compared to tha-"

Sun completely disappeared from Blake's line of sight as he was completely buried under the weight of Neptune, Scarlet ,and Sage who were now directly on top of him. She saw Sun's arm squirm underneath and she was worried that Sun might've gotten injured because of the combined weight that he was trampled with.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked with concern.

"Never been better" Sun told her while he was still pinned to the ground by the three boys on top of him.

All of the commotion that they had caused had made heads turn towards them and a lot of people caught sight of the team's crazy antics. Some of them just sighed in annoyance while others giggled just a little bit because of how ridiculous the sight was.

Things had finally calmed down and the initial excitement that Sun's friends had dissipated a small amount and they were now all calm enough to talk coherently and catch up in a way that won't disturb the people around them. They all stood up from their position on the ground and each one of them rubbed off the dust that had settled in their clothes.

"Got your letter buddy. We've done exactly what you told us and now we're all here" Neptune said cheerfully.

"Glad to see that all you guys actually came. I thought that we're the ones who will visit you guys" Sun replied.

"Well you almost did. Scarlet didn't want to come at first, says that the port will make him smell like fish" Neptune joked.

"Hey! I definitely did not say that" Scarlet defended.

But his statement was completely rebuked as Sage nodded his head in disagreement with what Scarlet said. Therefore confirming Neptune's earlier statement and that made Scarlet embarrassed because he was caught red handed by his two teammates.

Blake stayed in the sidelines as the four friends talked as she wanted to give the most space to them as they wanted. She didn't want to intrude on their reunion and she did this in order to repay Sun back because he did this in the past with her. Blake wanted to even things out and she didn't mind getting overshadowed for once.

Despite her efforts in giving the four of them privacy, her attempt didn't last long as Neptune caught sight of Blake and immediately greeted her and acknowledged her presence in the group.

"Blake! How long has it been since I've last seen you?" Neptune asked.

"Well, I think it was during the Fa-"

Before those words could leave Blake's mouth, Sun quickly nudged Neptune's shoulders and gave him a sharp glare that pierced right through his soul. They didn't want to bring back such tragic memories in a happy time like this. So Neptune quickly retracted his statement and changed the subject immediately in order to avert any awkward situations.

"Never mind that. You look even more beautiful ever since. I guess all the boys flock over you don't they?" Neptune told her as he tried to save the positive mood that everybody had.

It worked, at least in some way. Blake laughed as Neptune told this as she realized one thing that Sun hadn't told the rest of his teammates. It would probably a big surprise to them and there was bound to be chaos if her hunch was right. But before she revealed anything to the oblivious trio, she consulted Sun in order to make sure that what she thought was correct.

"Wait, wait, wait. Sun, you haven't told them yet?" Blake asked bit by bit as she continuously laughed.

Sun suddenly went stiff under what Blake had implied. He only told Neptune about the important details like meeting them their and asking for the favor that he needed. Sun had yet to announce their relationship together and he knew that things were about to get crazy once again. Especially since Neptune was there to witness it firsthand.

"Told them about what?" Sun tried to ask while he act dumb

"You sent them a letter yet you didn't tell them?"

"What, It wasn't really important or anything"

"Wow. I'm hurt by that" Blake told him while she acted like she was hurt by what he just said.

"That's not what I meant. I just thought that it wouldn't really be a big deal for them to know about it"

While the two shared this exchanged, Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet had absolutely no idea on what the two had meant regarding some information that Sun might not have shared with them. Neptune was very intrigued and he wanted to know the juicy little secret that Sun had hidden from them.

"What are you guys talking about anyway?" Neptune asked.

Blake looked at Neptune and she had every intent to answer the question that she had given them.

"Well Neptune if you must know, Sun has been holding out on some very vital information"

"Is it really that important?" Neptune exclaimed.

Sun looked at Blake and she had the same grin that she always had whenever she had something mischievous planned. There was no other option that he could take and Sun planned on telling his friends anyway so what could be bad about telling them about it now. After all, it wouldn't really change anything between the two of them.

"Are you sure about this? After all, I thought that you were the private one" Sun asked.

"People change. I'm no different and that's because of you" Blake replied with genuine admiration.

The two of them nodded their heads in agreement and it was time for Sun and Blake to spill the beans to the rest of team SSSN. They were the first out of all of their friends to know about the two of them and it was a big leap for the two of them. But Blake and Sun trusted the trio to be calm under this announcement and they both deemed it okay to tell them about it at their current spot.

Sun took Blake's hand along with his and they both intertwined their fingers together. Sun gently slung his arm over Blake's shoulder and he pulled him closer to him until they were both side to side and felt each other's body.

With two big smiles on their faces, Sun announced their relationship right in front of Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage who were still oblivious to what they both alluded to.

"Neptune, Scarlet, Sage, I would like to introduce you to my first ever girlfriend and the girl that I've been in love with ever since we went to Vale. Meet the beautiful Blake!"

"Hello!" Blake greeted happily as she waved her arm.

The two of them waited patiently in order to get a response from Sun's teammates and they still sported their smiles as they waited. While Neptune and the others were in complete and total disbelief in what the two of them had suddenly revealed. But Scarlet and Sage quickly recovered from their shock and immediately congratulated Sun who they knew had a thing for Blake for the longest time.

"Congratulations! I never thought that you'd actually have the guts to confess to her" Scarlet commented.

"Well at least the two of them are together now. I'm happy for the two of you" Sage followed.

"Thanks guys. Really appreciate the support" Sun thanked them.

"Ummm Sun, is Neptune okay?" Blake asked because of how Neptune looked.

All of them had diverted their gazes towards Neptune who had his hands cupped against his face as his legs trembled and while he mumbled his thoughts out loud because of his disbelief. Neptune never thought that this day would ever come and he shook in excitement without the others knowing.

Before Sun could have a chance to ask what was wrong with Neptune, he quickly revealed his face and it showed his large smile and eyes filled with awe while he shrieked at the top of his lungs at the same time.

"FINALLY!" Neptune screamed.

Neptune was as happy as he could ever be and he started to jump all over the place as he couldn't contain the energy that his body had produced because of his joy. People had once again started to look towards their position as Neptune had caused another scene and people got more annoyed and confused rather than entertained because of what Neptune had done.

But the blue haired boy didn't care the slightest bit as Neptune quickly rushed towards Blake and Sun and he enveloped them both in a large hug that Sun and Blake had no hope of escaping.

"I'm so happy for the two of you! Blake, do you know how long this idiot had feelings for you and didn't say anything?! And Sun, how did you manage to sack up and tell her!?" Neptune asked in a panicked frenzy.

If things were calmer and not in a public place like this, Sun and Blake would gladly answer the questions that Neptune had thrown at them. But the current atmosphere of their situation had started to become dire as more and more people had started to stare at their direction and all of them besides Neptune could feel all of the eyes that had started to dart towards them.

"Umm Neptune if you don't mind, you're kind of causing a scene here buddy" Sun told him.

Neptune had heard what Sun had said and he took a quick glance at their surroundings. He saw all of the people that were staring at them with annoyance and disappointment and he started to blush under the pressure that the people around them were giving him. He started to feel sorry about his actions and he wanted to steer clear of the people that they had disturbed and move on to another place where they could continue to catch up.

"Sorry guys, I think I got a little bit carried away" Neptune apologized.

"It's okay Neptune. You actually did better than I expected" Blake remarked.

"What did you think I was going to do?

"To be honest, I thought that you were going to explode" Blake joked.

All of them laughed because of what Blake had said because it was a real possibility that all of them knew could have happened. They all enjoyed a little bit of humor at Neptune's expense but he didn't really mind at all. In fact, this was one side of Blake that Neptune never knew she had and it was nice for him to see that Blake could be this lax and carefree.

"Well you don't look like the cold and brooding type anymore" Neptune fired back.

Blake had heard from both her parents and Sun the same comment that Neptune had told her. She never really knew the scale of how she changed and it was fascinating to see that other people could see the changes that she underwent. Even with this realization, she never forgot the reason why she changed like this and that reason was right next to her while she clutched his hand.

"Well you can blame this guy" Blake told Neptune as she leaned closer to Sun's shoulder.

Sun had was quick to notice that Blake placed her head on top of his shoulder while she directly looked at her eyes. He could feel the sincerity that Blake put in her words and it meant much more than what it showed in the surface. Sun appreciated this gesture and he returned the smile that Blake had on her face with a smile of his own.

"You two lovebirds are something special aren't you?" Neptune told them.

"Well, you can say that" Sun replied back.

"Am I the only one who's hungry?" Scarlet interrupted.

They had all realized that it was almost lunchtime and all of the energy that they had spent in their energetic reunion had suddenly fuelled their appetites and they were all ready to be fed a hefty meal for their lunch. It also gave them the opportunity to sit down in one place and talk amongst themselves without bothering people around them.

"You're not the only one Scarlet don't worry. So what do you guys say, want to have lunch now?" Neptune offered.

"Yes!" All of them chanted simultaneously.

"Let's get going then! I know of a special place that we can all enjoy"

With the promise of lunch and some time to catch up with each other, the newly formed group had started to head over to the restaurant that Neptune knew of and they were all excited to finally fill their stomach with delicious food that would satisfy their appetite.

* * *

Mistral was a large kingdom and it had many districts that separated the populace. The port that they were once in was located in the lower district since it needed to be in a lower level in order to meet the ships that voyaged at sea. The easiest way to make it around the city was to ride one of the many airships that patrolled along all of the districts and wait until it stopped at the destination that you want to be dropped off.

The place that the group was headed to was located within the commercial district of Mistral. It was the place that people would go to if they wanted to shop for supplies, food, and other necessities and it also contained a lot of small diners and restaurants that one could go for a readymade meal.

Normally, Sun and his team would use the airships in order to go to that district in the shortest possible time. But this time was different since they had Blake with them. They all decided to walk towards the commercial district since they wanted to tour Blake around the sights of the city and its atmosphere and the best way to experience those two things was to walk on their feet.

Blake had lead the whole group towards the place that they were headed to while Scarlet and Sage pointed over towards the right direction where she should lead them. Sun and his team had spent a couple of years within the kingdom and it was safe to say that they knew their way around the kingdom like the back of their hand. So Blake had no doubts that Sage and Scarlet would guide her correctly so she just followed their orders and took in the unfamiliar sights and artistic designs that she could see around her.

The architecture of the structures around her had fascinated Blake a lot since they connected to her more artistic side. She marveled at how intricately things were designed within the kingdom and it could be seen wherever she looked. From the lampposts that littered the streets which were decorated with dragons on the top and interesting patterns. And from the buildings around her that felt more inspired in design compared to the bland structures back in Vale. The buildings around Blake reminded her of Menagerie by a lot and that made her ease into the overall feel of the kingdom as it very much felt like home to her despite it being her first time there.

While Blake was busy, Sun and Neptune seized the opportunity and they distanced themselves by a bit from Scarlet, Sage, and Blake. They wanted to share a conversation together without any intrusion from the three of them and to have some privacy of their own.

"Man, how long was it since we last saw each other?" Neptune started.

"A couple of months give or take" Sun replied.

"Well I guess your trip was exciting. It was really boring without you here. Do you mind telling any stories?" Neptune asked.

"It's a really, really long story man. But the main thing that happened is that we both headed over to Menagerie in order to sort some issues that Blake had"

"If you don't mind me asking, are any of her issues related to that little thing behind your back?" Neptune asked as he pointed over to the handle of Wilt which was slightly exposed because of Sun's backpack.

"Yep. It was a life or death situation so I would really appreciate it if you don't bring it up"

"Note taken. What was it all about anyway?"

"Just some White Fang stuff. Remember that Adam guy, that thing was sort of his"

"Wow, facing off against that guy would have been scary. But I guess you took care of it like always. You got serious for once didn't you?" Neptune told him with hints of mischief as he knew what Sun becomes when started to get serious in a fight.

"What was I supposed to do? I couldn't let him lay a hand on her" Sun replied back.

"Well I'm guessing that the favor that you asked from me is related to this whole White Fang situation isn't it?"

"That reminds me, any luck in finding any info?"

"Let's just say that a certain dusty little crow can be seen around some parts of the kingdom"

Sun's heart had suddenly stopped as he was both relieved and surprised that Neptune was able to follow through with the favor that he asked from him. He could finally relax knowing that there was a person in the kingdom that he could present the information that he had on the White Fang and more importantly, trace the whereabouts of Blake's other teammates whom she missed dearly.

"Where can we find him?" Sun asked.

"Well you know the guy. He drinks a lot and I've heard that he frequents one of the bars around these parts"

"That's good to know. Blake really wants to see her other teammates and it's good to know that Qrow himself is in the kingdom. Maybe some of them are already here" Sun replied.

"That could be a possibility. At least she's one step closer to seeing them again" Neptune added.

"Hey Neptune, I have one more favor to ask and I promise that I'll make it up to you" Sun asked.

Neptune was the kind of friend that Sun could trust no matter what and after all of the time that they have spent away from each other, Neptune was fine taking one more errand for Sun since he was sure that he would be repaid in turn by his friend.

"First of all, what do I need to do before I agree to anything"

"It's simple, you just need to hand some information off to Qrow since you know where he is. And I need it done as soon as possible" Sun told him.

"Whoa whoa whoa, I told you that I've heard that he goes to bars in here but I don't know where he'll be exactly" Neptune complained.

"Relax, I trust you and I know for sure that you can track him down"

"Fine fine. Second, what's the information that you're going to pass on to him?"

"It's just some intel on the White Fang that are positioned here in Mistral. It was lead by Adam and I'm sure that they will become deadly if we ignore them"

"Well that's exciting. Maybe me and the guys can experience some action. Things have been dull the past months and I'm excited to get back in the field again" Neptune happily replied.

"Someone's going to have to step in and I'm sure that we can spend some team bonding if we need to get involved. And by the way, if you ever meet him, ask about the rest of team RWBY and if he knows where they all are" Sun added.

Sun reached over into his back pocket and he revealed the scroll that he had personally taken from Adam. It contained very sensitive information and it was necessary for them to show it to someone reliable and it was now up to Neptune in order to pass on the information. Sun handed over the scroll to Neptune and he discretely hid it away before anything bad could happen to it.

"And my third question, why not tell Blake about this? Don't you think that she could help with this situation?" Neptune asked.

"This whole White Fang business almost cost her life. It also gave her a lot of bad memories and I don't want anything bad to happen to her right now. She's gone through enough"

"That's respectable. But don't forget, you owe me big time for this one and I can't think of anything right now that could pay off the debt that I have on you" Neptune playfully commented.

Neptune was completely right. Sun couldn't think of anything that could repay all of the help that Neptune had provided him and he even added another task to his list and he didn't know how to properly thank his best friend for all that he has done for him.

But as they continued to walk towards the direction where the restaurant was, Sun felt the faint but familiar touch of the small object that he now always had on his body. It was something that only he and Blake's parents knew about and it was something too crazy to tell any other people about. Sun dug his hand inside the pocket that contained the ring that he had on him and he contemplated whether or not to tell Neptune about it.

Sun was conflicted whether or not he should tell Neptune about the wedding ring that Kali had given him. It was something very private and personal and it weighed a ton on his shoulders as he knew that he had a promise to keep. He didn't want anyone to know about it since Sun would kill himself if Blake would ever know about it before he can even give it to her personally.

He looked over to Neptune who cheerfully walked along with the rest of their group and he was completely torn whether or not to share the little secret that he had with his best friend. But Sun knew deep inside that after all of the things that Neptune had done for him so far and considering that he was his best friend, Sun knew that Neptune deserved to know and it was time for him to muscle up and repay his debt completely. Maybe even double because of the gravity of what he was about to say.

Neptune continued to walk along the street as he saw both Scarlet and Sage enjoy their time with Blake as they continued to talk with each other and educate Blake regarding their surroundings. But he suddenly felt Sun's arm pull at his shoulders and they continued to distance themselves further from the rest of their group and this made Neptune confused.

"Hey, what's the matter Sun?" Neptune asked bewildered.

"You said that I owe you a lot right?"

"Definitely. And it's going to be hard to track down Qrow despite him being a drunk. And by the way, why are we walking so far from the rest of them?"

"It's because I'm going to repay the debt that you have on me" Sun whispered.

"Well that was fast. Are you going to give me a boatload of Lien or something?" Neptune asked excitingly.

"Definitely not. But knowing you, it might be even better than that"

"What is it then?"

"A secret" Sun told him with utmost secrecy and caution.

Neptune chuckled a little bit as this thought as he thought that Sun tried to joke around with him regarding the debt that he owed him. But he decided to continue their conversation because he was intrigued on what Sun had planned to share with him and why it was vital for the two of them to distance themselves from the rest of the gang.

"What secret could be so important that you think can pay off your debt in one go?"

"I'm serious Neptune. You're the first one to ever know this besides Blake's parents and nobody else can know besides us okay?"

"Promise, I won't tell anybody if it's really that important. So hurry up and tell me, we're almost there and I wouldn't want us to get caught in the middle of the act. This secret better be worth it man"

"It will be. But before I show you, promise me that you won't cause another scene because I will literally have your head if we get caught" Sun warned him.

"I promise. I think I'll need to brace myself for this one if it's really that intense"

"Okay, here it goes"

After Sun told his last warning, he reached over to his left pocket and he felt around it for the ring that he was about to show Neptune. After a few short seconds, he felt the circular object brush across his fingers and grabbed it carefully with his two fingers. Sun's heart pounded because he was nervous about the string of events that may come after he revealed this to Neptune. So for one last time, he looked over to both Scarlet and Sage along with Blake to make sure that she was busy and wouldn't risk her seeing the ring that her mother had given him.

With all of the necessary precautions taken care of, Sun slowly and carefully pulled out his hand from his pocket as he gently gripped the ring that he now had in his hands.

Neptune was really confused up to that point as he never expected that the secret that Sun had was an object. He was yet to see what it was and his heart pounded in anticipation as he was excited to see what the fuss was all about regarding the secret that Sun had.

Nothing could have ever prepared Neptune for what he suddenly saw appear right in front of his eyes. All of his breathing had suddenly stopped and his blood completely went cold as his eyes completely focused and registered the small object that Sun had on his fingers.

Neptune was quick to realize that the thing that Sun had showed him was a ring. And by the looks of it, it was a wedding ring with a jade crystal on top of it while it was adorned with a golden dragon that enveloped the whole ring. Sun had realized that Neptune was awfully quiet even after his sudden revelation and he definitely knew that something was wrong since he knew that Neptune would never act this way especially if it concerned something big like this. But Sun completely lost his mind as soon as he realized that Neptune had started to charge up the pent up emotions that he had within him because of his shock and there was bound to be a loud shriek from him because of it.

"Neptune snap out of it! We're going to get caught!" Sun harshly whispered.

Even with all of his incessant pleading, Sun was powerless under the sheer might that was Neptune's complete overreaction. And in just a span of a few very short seconds, Neptune once again unwittingly let out a harsh shriek and it managed to attract every single person in their near vicinity and almost every person in the street looked over to the two of them.

Knowing that Neptune would pull another stunt like this, Sun quickly and anxiously put away the ring that he showed Neptune and he safely stowed it away back into his pocket. Sun was successful in doing so and he was able to hide the ring in the nick of time as Blake and the two other boys had turned back towards them to see what had happened that caused the shriek that came from Neptune.

Pretty much every person around them had been disturbed by Neptune's sudden shriek and they were all very displeased by their presence. Neptune was still in a state of shock while Sun's heart pounded indefinitely because of the pinch that they were currently in.

Because of the events that had suddenly sprung out of nowhere, Blake had became totally confused because of Neptune's actions and she decided to question Sun on why Neptune let out another ear piercing scream.

"Sun, what did you guys do?" Blake asked with an annoyed tone.

"Ummm, well you know Neptune. He's always afraid of water and that fountain over there really messed with his head" Sun said as he tried to sound convincing.

"Well can you guys keep it down. We might get kicked out of here if you don't behave yourselves"

"Understood Blakey!" Sun nervously replied back.

Blake knew that Neptune had a certain phobia for water even though it went completely against his name. It wasn't really a big deal for Blake but she never knew that his fear had reached to that extent. And with that, Blake alongside his two other companions continued to make their way towards their destination but she now kept in mind that Neptune might explode once again and she tried to become more cautious because of it.

Sun saw that Blake along with Scarlet and Sage had finally turned their gaze away from them as they continued to walk forward. The coast was finally clear and he was now given the opportunity to take a sigh of relief because he didn't have to worry about the Blake situation anymore. But he still noticed the people around them that had dirty looks and that pushed something inside of him to continue their way forward before any more awkward things could happen.

Neptune had continued to hyperventilate as he struggled to calm himself down. He completely expected to have a heart attack then and there as his mind continued to process if what had just happened was real or not. The only thing that had managed to calm down his nerves was the sharp pain that he felt from the clean smack that he received from the back of his head that was dealt to him by Sun.

It knocked the sense back into him and he was now able to slowly come to terms with the secret that Sun had told him. Neptune still couldn't believe that Sun had taken things up to that level but at least his mind was now clear and he could now properly voice his opinions without having another meltdown.

But that opportunity would have to wait as the look that Sun had on his face meant that he was about to chew him out big time and he had every right to take it in because he almost compromised the secret that Sun had only a mere seconds after he had told him this.

"What the hell Neptune?! You almost got us caught within seconds! I even told you to not panic" Sun blurted out.

"I'm sorry man! I never expected that you'd pull out a ring on me like that"

"I told you to not cause a scene and look what you did!"

"Hear me out, if I was the one that told you that I had a wedding ring on me how do you think you would act?" Neptune asked.

"Well I'll be surprised but I'm sure as hell that I won't do worse than you" Sun threw back.

"Fine fine it's all my fault. You happy now?"

"Consider yourself spared for the time being since Blake miraculously didn't catch the two of us. But next time, please keep your excitement down a notch"

"Sure. But I still can't believe that you're ready to take things up to a next level. That's kind of impressive actually" Neptune commented.

"Nobody said that I was ready at all. Her mother gave it to me and she asked me to give it to Blake and she wouldn't take no for an answer" Sun explained.

"Well do you plan on giving it to her at any point?" Neptune asked.

"Of course. She's the love of my life and I can't think of any other person that I want to be with"

"I wish you the best of luck brother" Neptune told him.

"Thanks, I appreciate it" Sun replied back.

The two of them had finished their little conversation and they were about to start to catch up to Blake and the rest of their team as they had covered a considerable distance from them. Sun had started to walk towards Blake and the rest of his teammates as him and Neptune had finally concluded their business and were now ready to finally head over to the place that Neptune had told them about.

* * *

The whole atmosphere of the restaurant was busy and tense as customers patiently waited for their orders to arrive and the many workers that worked hard in order to satisfy the appetites of their customers. Their surroundings had felt so alive and colorful and Blake completely enjoyed the subtle chaos around her as it made her feel alive and well.

All five of them were seated in a rectangular table within the establishment that they were in as Neptune sat alongside Scarlet and Sage while Blake and Sun sat across them. Sun and his friends were enjoying a conversation together as they talked about their times together as a team and the many adventures and missions that they had taken together.

Blake decided to not intrude on Sun's time together with his team and she decided to enjoy some time for herself as she quietly plopped down with a book in her hand and she read quietly as they all waited for their order.

Even with all of the noise and commotion that surrounded her, it didn't really disturb Blake even when she tried to concentrate on her book. In fact, she was glad that there was noise around her and even she was surprised that it managed to calm her down. Blake continued to read her book and she thoroughly enjoyed it as she patiently waited for their order. But out of the corner of her eye, she couldn't help but notice that Sun had the largest smile on his face as he continued to talk with his friends.

"I miss the old days when Neptune wouldn't even dare to shower when we first formed our team" Sun said with a hearty laugh.

"Yeah I still couldn't believe that he could stand his own stench like that" Scarlet teased.

"Even I couldn't stand it and you guys know how patient I am" Sage added.

"Yeah yeah laugh all you want. But don't you guys remember when Sun slipped on his banana peel and broke his tail!? He couldn't walk straight for weeks!"

"Hey! That's completely out of left field, it's not like I meant to slip on that banana peel" Sun tried to defend.

"Considering that you're obsessed with bananas too much, I think that you more than likely deserved that" Neptune snickered.

"Can you believe this guy?" Sun replied.

"He's kind of right Sun. You like those things a little bit too much" Scarlet commented while Sage nodded his head in turn.

"What can I do about it?! I'm a Faunus after all so I can't change that. But Scarlet's hair though, I think we definitely need to change that" Sun joked.

"HEY! Why do you need to drag my hair into this!" Scarlet replied, clearly annoyed by what Sun had said.

All four of them had broken into laughter as they all playfully joked around without any of them seriously hurting each other's feelings. This was one of the many traditions that their team had enjoyed over the times that they had spent together and Sun was completely refreshed and overjoyed that he could feel these experiences with his friends once again. This could be clearly seen on the large smile that Sun had on his face and people that would look at him could say that he was enjoying the time of his life.

The look that Sun had on his face had made Blake look at him while she hid her face with the book that she had on her hands. Her eyes were completely transfixed on Sun and she couldn't explain why, but she felt warm inside as she continued to look on how happy he was.

All that Blake wanted for Sun since they both started this relationship was for him to experience happiness after all of the hell that he had been through. Throughout their time together, Blake felt that the two of them were inseparable and she slowly became even happier and content knowing that Sun didn't have to feel pain anymore just by her showing her true emotions for him.

But as she continued to look at Sun right now, Blake couldn't help but make a smile of her own as she was completely infected by his happiness right now. It bought her comfort to know that Sun was able to enjoy his time here as much she was and that he was the reason why the two of them were alive.

Without her even knowing, Blake had completely lost interest on the book that she had and all that she did was intently stare at Sun while she looked completely enchanted by his presence and looks. Even Blake knew that she started to seemed weird and that she felt the blush on her face as she continued to stare at the boy that she adored while he continued to talk with his friends.

Sun continued to talk with Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet and they all had a blast as each one of them continued to fire friendly shots at each other. But while Sun continued to talk to the three of them, Sage and Scarlet had noticed that Blake had stopped reading the book that she had and was completely dumbfounded while she was transfixed on Sun. They could see the wide smile she had on her face and that she was almost in a trance because of Sun.

That sight had amused Scarlet and Sage by a lot and they couldn't contain the little giggles that they had inside of them. They both knew that Blake was completely knocked out as even she didn't notice the small laughs that they made even with her enhanced hearing. They both decided to pass on the word to Neptune so Scarlet whispered this little titbit to his hear and that made Neptune look over to Blake and as soon as he caught sight of her, he let out a laugh of his own.

Sun had been interrupted by the spontaneous laughter that came from his friends and he wondered what all of the fuss was about. He decided to ask the three of them as he really had no idea on why the three of them acted that way.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Sun asked.

"Dude, I think little kitty cat loves you a little bit too much" Neptune said while bits of laughter came out from him.

He immediately knew who Neptune was talking about as soon as he heard those words come out of his mouth but Sun didn't know why his teammates were laughing at Blake as he thought that she was still busy with her book. But Sun wanted to make sure that nothing was wrong with Blake and he wanted to know what Neptune had meant so he decided to quickly check up on Blake before he continued his conversation with his friends.

Sun turned to his left side in order to check up on Blake and he was pleasantly surprised to see that Blake had completely forgotten the book that she had and was now focused on staring at him with a large smile on her face partnered by her blushing cheeks. Sun had managed to form a blush on his face as he was equally attracted to Blake as soon as he set his eyes on her. But it did baffle him that she didn't change her expression even though Sun had already turned around and noticed her like that.

The situation had started to become a field day for Neptune and the others as they were completely stunned by the magic that had begun right in front of them. The aura that the two exerted had been very powerful and that made Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage stay quiet and wait for what may happen next.

Because of the current state that Blake was in, Sun decided to wave his hands right in front of Blake in order to try and snap her out of her current state while he still maintained his own smile as he was amused and endeared because of what Blake had suddenly done. He continued to wave his hands for a while but it lead to absolutely no response from Blake and she still maintained the same position that she had from before.

Sun decided to be more vocal with his apprehension and he decided to speak out loud in order to grab hold of Blake's attention and finally figure out what caused her sudden pause of admiration.

"Umm Blake, is there something wrong?" Sun asked calmly.

Blake had immediately heard Sun's voice and that made her finally snap out of her coma and she immediately realized what she had done. She was completely snagged by Sun's presence and charm that she didn't even notice that she had stared at him for that long. And in order to avoid confrontation, Blake immediately denied everything that Sun could throw at her.

"No! Why would you ask that?" Blake replied, obviously flustered and embarrassed because of the situation that she was in.

"Well why were you staring at me with that dumb smile on your face?" Sun asked, clearly teasing her because of what she had done.

"You're just overreacting. I didn't stare at you for that long"

"So you were staring at me" Sun told her victoriously.

"Just shut up!" Blake let out as she covered her face in the book that she had in order to cover the massive blush that she had on her face.

The embarrassment that Blake felt because of what she had done had overpowered her so much that she was as red as a tomato because of it. She really didn't meant to get so caught up like that and she acknowledged the fact that she might have gotten a little bit carried away.

Things had started to become awkward because of what happened between both Blake and Sun so Neptune decided to step in and offer a little bit of advice to his blonde friend.

"Hey, you better make it up to her before she gets grumpy" Neptune whispered.

"Of course, it's what I always do" Sun whispered back.

Sun didn't mean to embarrass Blake like that and he really felt bad about it. He was not about to ruin the day for Blake and he knew what would cheer her up and it would produce a little bit of intimacy that the two of them liked to experience whenever they were together.

He slid closer to Blake who continued to hide her face on the book that she had even though it was clear that she had no intention to read after all that had happened. Sun got closer and closer to Blake until he could clearly feel Blake brush up against him and he noticed that Blake tensed up immediately when their bodies came into contact.

Sun placed his hands against her shoulder and he made sure to pull Blake closer to him until he completely felt her body against his. He placed his left hand on the side of Blake's face and he positioned her head to lean over his shoulder and Blake made no protest to this until she completely rested her head on top of his shoulder.

And to top it all off, Sun used his free hand in order to stroke Blake's cat ears as she sat comfortably on her seat while nestled by Sun. The sensation that she felt because of what Sun did for her and the fact that he started to stroke her cat ears had managed to ease her back to normal and she once again had that smile on her face while she let out a small purr in order to acknowledge the kind deed that Sun had done.

The purr that Blake had made had managed to strike Neptune's heart and the sight of the cute couple had managed to melt his mind and he completely adored the two as they both continued to enjoy each other's company and affection for each other.

"I can't believe that the two of you could continue to be even cuter than before!" Neptune commented.

"Well it's what we do" Sun replied back.

"When's the food coming" Blake interrupted.

"Don't worry Blakey, it's about to come out any second now"

"Wake me up when it arrives Sun" Blake asked while she continued to enjoy her presence on Sun's embrace.

The two of them continued to do this for a while until the food that they had all ordered had finally arrived to the table as it was served by a waiter from the restaurant. The place that they decided to eat in was a famous noodle shop within Mistral and they were all excited to experience the famous food that they were known for.

Blake had immediately smelled the aroma of the hot soup that had come their way and she sprung up as soon as she detected this as she was eager to finally try out the food in Mistral and it also helped that she felt hungry after they the time that they had spent walking around after they had landed in the kingdom.

Neptune started to hand out chopsticks and a spoon that was meant for the soup to each and every one of them and they were all ready to go down on the food that was presented right in front of them. Blake had grabbed hold of the utensils that Neptune had given out and it was obvious that out of all of them, she was the most eager to dig in on as her mouth watered and her eyes completely focused on the bowl of noodles right in front of her.

They all noticed that Blake was ready to finally eat and they were all amused on how serious she was when it came to eating. Sun decided to finally kick things off as he didn't want to hold out on the opportunity for Blake to finally satisfy her appetite and for all of them to enjoy their meal.

Sun had patted Blake on the base of her head and she immediately felt the calm sensation of his hand against her head as he gently rubbed it in order to soothe her. And while Sun continued to do this, Blake was completely overjoyed by the next few words that had left Sun's mouth and signaled all of them to proceed with the main event that they had all waited for.

"Well what are you waiting for kitty cat? It's time to eat!" Sun announced.

Under Sun's command and by the own will of their appetites, all of them had finally decided to dig in and enjoy the savory food in front of them.

* * *

Lunch time passed easily for all of them as they easily devoured the large bowl of noodles that they had ordered. Each and every one of them were filled to their heart's content and the large amount of food that they had all managed to ingest had completely fulfilled their wishes and there was absolutely no room left for them to store anymore food.

Because of the food that they had all eaten and the fact that they had been walking around all morning, Sun, Blake, and the rest of their friends were completely exhausted and there was no doubt that they all wanted to have some rest after everything that they have done.

It was already late in the afternoon and it was a reasonable enough time for him to want some sleep. After all, both he and Blake had been worn out by the exhausting boat ride to reach Mistral and the two of them were surely drained because of it. And just to be sure, Sun looked over to Blake to see how she was after the meal that they ate. He immediately saw that Blake had shown signs of drowsiness as she let out a loud yawn while her eyes had started to drop because of her want to sleep.

So with those facts to back him up, Sun tried to suggest that they should all get some rest since they all deserved it and that they all felt exhausted after their little trip within the town.

"Hey guys, how about we get some rest. I'm feeling really tired right now and I think that we all feel the same" Sun bought up.

"Yeah, I am feeling a little bit sleepy because of that food" Neptune replied while he let out a yawn of his own.

"Same, I need my beauty sleep you know" Scarlet added.

"Yep, same here" Sage topped off.

All of Sun's teammates had collectively agreed that they wanted to doze off for a while and Sun was happy to know that all of his friends were on the same page. The only thing left to do was to ask Blake if she wanted to get some rest or at least settle down and find a place where they could spend the night in.

"What about you Blake? Do you want to find a place to rest in or would you like to look around the place a little bit more? I can show you around if you want to" Sun offered.

"Thanks for the offer but I'd rather rest for now. I'm exhausted and I'm sure that we'll have enough time to look around the kingdom together" Blake responded.

"Well its settled then. I guess we're going to get some much needed sleep after all" Sun said cheerfully.

"If you don't mind me asking, where are the two of you staying?" Neptune inquired.

"We haven't looked for any places yet. Can you recommend some Neptune?" Blake asked.

"I suggest that you take a look at the inn near the park. We've stayed their once just for fun and it's pretty decent. And if you want to get some fresh air or go sightseeing, you can go to the park right beside it"

"That seems good. How about you Sun, what do you think?"

"Yeah I remember us staying there before when our dorm got renovated. I'd say it's a good idea for us to stay there"

"That settles it. I guess we'll check that place out and see if there's anything available. But are you really sure?" Blake asked Sun.

"What do you mean? I already told you that I'm fine with the place"

"That's not what I meant. Are you really sure that you don't want to spend time with your friends?" Blake insisted.

Before Sun could reply once again, Neptune suddenly stepped in before he could do so in order to throw is two cents in their discussion. And he clearly showed how much he knew his best friend and his statement sealed the deal between their agreement.

"Blake, you need to understand that this guy has liked you ever since we went over to Vale. It's even a big surprise to the three of us that he's not all over you right now. He really cares about you a lot and there's no way that he'll let go of you now." Neptune commented.

Blake was moderately surprised because of what Neptune told her but she already knew this information before hand. But it didn't hinder the fact that she felt a little bit more special to Sun's eyes since she never knew that even his friends knew how much she meant to him.

"Well thanks Neptune. But are you guys sure that you don't want to spend time with him. He has been gone for a while and I don't want you guys just doing this for me"

"Don't sweat it. We all understand that you guys need some time together and we really don't want to intrude on our boy's time with you. And besides, it's not like this will be the last time that we'll see each other" Neptune replied.

Things had already been decided and it was certain that Blake would be able to spend the rest of the afternoon and night with Sun right beside her. This bought her a little bit more comfort than usual as she was excited to know that she wouldn't have to spend the night alone. She also realized that Sun couldn't be any more happy with their arrangement as he scooted over right beside her and gave her a big warm hug.

"All right Blakey! I guess that you're stuck with me for the rest of the day!" Sun said happily.

"Yeah yeah I know. So do you want to head over there right now?" Blake asked.

"Sure, we have nothing better to do" Sun replied back.

"Well let's get going then" Neptune added.

With the whole group finally done with their meal and arrangements finally settled, they all made their way outside before they parted ways and headed over to their respective destinations for the rest of the day. The warm air had greeted Blake as soon as she stepped outside and that made her survey her surroundings a little bit more before both Sun and her would go over to the place that Neptune had recommended.

With Blake occupied with her own business, Sun saw the opportunity to talk with Neptune for one last time before they separated for the rest of the day. He never forgot the task that the two of them needed to accomplish and he just wanted to make sure that Neptune would remember the favor that he made him do.

"Neptune, don't forget that little favor that I asked from you"

"Yeah yeah I'll be on it as soon as we get some rest. He'll probably come out at night and I'll be prepared by then" Neptune assured.

"Thanks for this buddy, really appreciate it"

"Well after that little secret that you told me I feel that I'm obligated to do this for you"

" I wish that I could deny that but you kind of do" Sun replied.

"Well, see you tomorrow man. I hope you enjoy the rest of your night"

"Don't worry, I will" Sun ended.

The two of them bumped their fists together before they parted ways and headed over to separate directions. Neptune went alongside the rest of team SSSN and they all made their way towards their dorm in Haven academy. Sun waved goodbye at the three of them as they separated from the rest of the group and the three of them waved right back at him.

All of them were finally ready to head over to the places where they could rest so Sun took it upon himself to head over with Blake to the place where they planned to stay. After he waved goodbye to his friends, Sun tried to look for Blake which he thought was right beside him but he was surprised when he realized that she wasn't there. He tried to look around him and see if she just strayed away and after a few seconds, Sun caught sight of Blake when he turned around and he saw that Blake had stared at the busy street in front of her without any words leaving out of her mouth.

Sun silently crept over to her as to not disturb any thoughts that might have ran through her mind. He just stood right beside her silently and he looked at what Blake had started to stare at. The whole busy atmosphere around this district was nothing new to Sun as he was familiar with the whole feel of the kingdom by that time. But he knew that Blake was new to this kind of scene as Vale wasn't as crowded and active like this and the whole scene had even reminded him of Menagerie somehow.

He know knew how Blake felt because of this and he was happy to know that Blake had already started to warm up to the whole place even though it was only their first day in there. Sun decided to speak up in order to acknowledge Blake's feelings and to cheer her up in his own way.

"It's a really nice place, isn't it?" Sun asked her.

"Yeah it really is. It feels a lot like home" Blake replied back.

"I'm glad that it feels that way for you. It reminds me of Menagerie too"

"Well there's the people, the huge crowds, the artistic design, and most of all, you're here with me" Blake told Sun.

The little compliments that Blake would give her would always brighten up Sun's day and he never failed to appreciate them no matter how little they were. That motivated Sun even more and it gave him the last few drops of energy that he needed in order for him to guide her towards the place that they planned to stay while they were there.

"What are we waiting for? Let's check the place out before it gets dark" Sun told her.

"Gladly" Blake replied.

With the two of them finally ready, both Blake and Sun held their hands together as they headed for the inn that Neptune had mentioned. They both merrily walked alongside each other as they were relieved that they would have a roof over their head for the night and that they could get some much needed rest after an already exhausting first day in the kingdom of Mistral.

* * *

The quality of the room that they had rented had most certainly validated the amount of lien that they spent on it even though it was pretty cheap. It had one large single bed that appealed to the couple's liking while it had individual closets for both Sun and Blake to store their own luggage on despite how sparse they were. It also had a single window that provided them with a nice view of the park that was just across them and a clear view of the sky which provided them ample lighting for the time being.

Evening had started to approach as the sky had started to mix both the color orange because of the late afternoon and the dark blue that was ushered in by night. Sun was busy as he started to store his few remaining clothes in neat piles within the closet that he decided was his. Blake on the other hand, was busy as she decided to tidy up as soon as they entered the room and the only thing that made noise within was the shower that Blake had used and the rhythmic sounds that came from Sun as he organized his belongings.

After he was done with his personal belongings, Sun decided to hide his weapons in a safe place for the night as he really had no reason to keep it with him as they were already about to sleep. So he took his reclined staff from his back pocket and he placed it in the lower left corner of the room along with Gambol Shroud which Blake placed there.

But Sun remembered that he had one more thing to take care of before he could completely say that all of his concerns were taken care off. He remembered that Wilt and Blush was still located within his bag and that same bag had sat on the side of the bed, clear for Blake to see. Sun was relieved that he was able to spot the cursed blade before Blake could as he made it a priority to hide it from Blake as much as possible.

He walked over near the bed and he took the bag from where it sat and he stashed it away along with his other clothes within the closet where Blake wouldn't see it unless she really looked. That blade had started to become more of a nuisance rather than a trophy for Sun as the only thing that he did with it was carry it along with him and hide it from Blake in the same time. But with that little problem dealt with, Sun was finally able to relax and take in the homely atmosphere of the room.

Sun sat on the right edge of the bed in order to look at the view that the window had provided them with. He could still see that a lot people were still outside despite the approach of night but the whole place dealt with the time by turning on the lampposts that were scattered along the streets. It's as if the whole kingdom had started to show its true colors as soon as it got dark as Sun realized that a lot more people had started to gather outside and things had started to get more lively and active than usual.

The sight in front of him had relaxed him enough and it almost made him fall asleep because of how soothed he was by the mixture of colors and life that the view possessed. But Sun tried to resist the call of sleep as he didn't want Blake to see him unconscious and he wanted to wait for her as much as possible.

But the wait that Sun had to endure would not last as he heard the sudden stop of the shower and was replaced by the sounds of Blake using the towel within the bathroom and a pause that followed it. Blake had clearly finished her little bath and he started to dress up for their evening's rest. Sun had eagerly waited for her to come out and he stared at the door for a few minutes, patiently waiting for Blake to come out.

The light within the bathroom had turned off and the door had opened as Blake revealed herself to Sun after her much needed shower. Her hair was slightly wet because of the water that struck it but it was dry enough to not produce any water that could make the floor wet. Blake was dressed in the nightgown that she had bought earlier in Mistral and she started to wear it every night since. It was a comfortable piece of clothing to wear at nighttime and it also helped that Sun liked it as much as she did.

And she couldn't be any more right as Sun had a huge smile on his face as soon as he caught sight of her and that reminded her of something that she wanted to do after Sun had declined her earlier offers to spend some quality time with his friends.

Blake promised that she would be extra sweet for Sun tonight as she wanted to repay him for going through the effort to keep her company for the night. She thought that Sun must've started to feel bored because of her presence so this was her way to say thank you for coping up with her.

With her mission set in motion, Blake put a smile on her face as she ran headfirst towards Sun and tackled him right into the large bed that they would sleep in. Blake knew that Sun had been caught off guard by her sudden tackle as he released a grunt that meant that he took the majority of her weight head on. But that didn't matter to Blake as she was about to repay the small inconvenience that she made in spades.

Blake was completely on top of Sun and he was still under shock on why Blake had tackled him like that. Before he could ask any more questions, he was quick to shut up as Blake peppered him with a bunch of kisses all over his face and he felt every single one of them. And with each kiss that he felt, Sun's heart melted more and more until he decided that this wasn't such a bad idea after all. After a few more kisses that Blake had placed on his face, she collapsed under his arms while she continued to laugh as she was clearly amused because of their situation.

Blake hugged Sun furiously as she continued to laugh while she did. Sun was happy to see that Blake still had enough energy to play around and it definitely pumped him up because of the girl's contagious energy and the fact that Blake had started to make do on her promise as she made sure to be more sweet towards him that night.

"What's gotten into you tonight?" Sun asked happily.

"I'm just following through with my promise. I have to say thank you in some way and I also don't want you to get tired of me" Blake replied back.

"Hey, don't say that okay. I'll never get tired of you and I'd be nuts in the head if I don't appreciate the small things that you do like this"

"Here you go again, trying to charm me with those words of yours" Blake told him cheerfully.

"Well flattery can only get me so far. All of that is the truth and nothing else" Sun replied back.

With this little moment that they shared, Blake had even more motivation to continue the acts that she did and she climbed further up Sun's body until they both stared at each other face to face. The two of them locked eyes for a few seconds until Blake completely enveloped Sun's face and she gave him one big kiss on the lips that Sun took in with the best of his abilities.

They locked lips like that for a few seconds while Sun continued to hug Blake's whole body while she wrapped her arms around his head. They both enjoyed their kiss for a few more seconds before the two of them pulled away from it as they broke out in little giggles as they did.

"Hey, let's get some rest. I know that the two of us are tired and I'm already happy with what we've done so far" Sun told Blake.

"Thanks, I appreciate it. But that's not going to stop me from wrapping you with my arms"

"No problem with that"

The time of sleep had finally arrived and both Sun and Blake were ready to get some sleep even though it was still early into the night. Both of them had enjoyed the late nights that they spent together just talking and bonding with each other but an early sleep like this was a welcome surprise to the two of them and both of them wanted to make the most out of it.

Sun scooted over in order to give some room for Blake in the bed but she was quick to close the gap between the two of them as she placed half of her body on top of him while she rested her head on Sun's shoulders.

"You just can't get enough of me can you?" Sun told her.

"I wish I can deny that but I really can't. It just makes me more comfortable to be with you" Blake replied.

"And you say that I try to charm you" Sun replied back with a chuckle.

The two of them silently laid on the bed as both Sun and Blake simply revelled in the silence and peace that they currently had in their hands. Neither one of them wanted to move a muscle as their current position was something that they felt hesitant to let go of and it gave them a certain feeling of completeness just by the two of them being close to each other.

Months before, neither one of them would expect that things would end up like this. The two of them in a relationship like this that they had both learned to adapt to and maintain for the short period of time that they had spent officially together. Sun was fulfilled in the inside while Blake now felt complete because of Sun's presence that was always beside her.

The comfortable atmosphere that the two of them shared had managed to clear up Blake's mind and that made her think of many more things before she could reach the point where she could sleep. Her mind raced back to the memories of her parents, the hardships that she had to face in her past, and finally, one of the main reasons that she took this trip in the first place. And that was the rest of her teammates who she longed to see ever since they set sail for Mistral.

Even with both Blake and Sun already in Mistral, Blake really had no idea how she would be able to find the rest of her teammates. She didn't know where each of them were and all that she could do was to draw assumptions where they were currently located. Blake felt hopeless amidst this problem as her mind could not think of any possibility on how she can locate her teammates especially with how the world currently was.

That thought had managed to form doubt within her and Blake was sure that the feeling that she felt would prevent her from getting any sleep that night. So the one thing that Blake thought to do was to find assurance from Sun like she always did. And she wished that Sun would be able to remove those thoughts from her and bring back some hope in to her heart.

"Do you think I'll get to see them again?" Blake asked, concerned.

With only those few words, Sun already knew who Blake meant by what she said. He knew that the only people that Blake wanted to see and the only thing that she wanted to achieve was to reunite with her old teammates whom she missed badly. Sun thought that Blake might've been worried that they wouldn't find a way for them to find her friends. But what Blake didn't know is that the two of them had a very large chance to find them because of Neptune's earlier information that Ruby's uncle was sighted within the kingdom.

That made Sun all the more confident that Blake would be able to find Ruby, Weiss, and Yang once again. And the fact that Neptune was already on the move to look for the drunken huntsman had given even more strength to his mind and had made him even more certain that Blake's wishes would come true.

But even he knew that Blake's strength had started to waver because of those thoughts that ran through her mind. It was his job to be strong for her and it was time for him to commit to his word as Sun needed to give Blake the strength and hope that she needed in order to stop her from being restless throughout the night.

"Of course you'll see them again. We're in one of the major kingdoms of Remnant which means that we have a lot of tools that we can use to locate them or at least get some information"

"And don't forget, you have Me, Neptune, Sage, and Scarlet to help you find them. So just be confident and don't worry a single bit" Sun added.

"How can you be so su-" Blake was quickly interrupted.

"Just trust me Blake. I've never let you down before and I won't start now"

Sun was right, he had never let Blake down before even when faced against insurmountable odds and she knew that very well. He had gone through thick and thin because of her and Blake had no excuse to say that he did otherwise. As always, she was right to console with Sun regarding her thoughts and those small words of assurance that came from Sun had managed to make her feel normal at the least. Tomorrow was another day and it would be another opportunity for her to seek out her teammates.

And if the opportunity presented, mend the bonds that she had severed unwillingly from the three of them.

Blake's mind was clear enough for the night and now had the capability to give her some hours of sleep. She was completely ready to fall into a deep slumber but she wondered if Sun felt the same way as she didn't want to abandon him prematurely.

"Hey, are you getting sleepy? Because I am but I want to keep you company if you're not" Blake asked.

"It's fine, I'm already tired out anyways. Maybe a few more minutes and I'll be tired enough to sleep already. But you can sleep if you want, I don't really mind" Sun told her with a smile.

"No chance. We're in this together and I'm not about to leave you hanging"

Sun snickered a little bit on how persistent Blake was to keep up with him that night. He was already happy enough to know that Blake had wanted things to become fairer between the two of them and he appreciated all of the effort that Blake had tried to put in to keep him happy the same way he did for her.

Things had been good between the two of them for the past couple of days and Sun couldn't be all the more happy and thankful for the change that he had to be with the one that he loved. But because of all the good that has happened so far, it had managed to overshadow the underlying problem that the two of them still had to face and the last few words that Blake had told him had sent memories of that problem directly into his mind.

He immediately processed the thoughts that he had and Sun didn't have the ability to keep them to himself. He wanted to be completely honest with Blake and it would be a huge disservice to himself if he didn't completely acknowledge everything that he felt between the two of them.

"I'm going to miss nights like this" Sun said with a blank tone.

"How come? You're not leaving are you?"

"Of course I'm not silly. It's just that, I don't want to be a downer right now and I think that you already know what I mean"

Blake's mind immediately remembered the promise that she made with her mom before both herself and Sun travelled to Mistral. Her mother asked her to be strong for Sun and that it was her time to make it up to him after all that he's been through.

The large smile that her boyfriend had would hide the many problems and negative thoughts that he still had in his mind. Blake knew full well that Sun still had doubts regarding their relationship and how long it would last and she didn't want him out of all people to think that the two of them can't make it work even with how the two of them bonded so closely together.

But she knew that Sun had every right to have doubts since she even had some of her own. Even with the happy relationship that both she and Sun had, it was no secret to the two of them that Blake still had feelings for her old partner despite the long time that they haven't spent with each other.

Sun knew that Blake still had feelings for her but the two of them still decided to make things work between them. And that made Blake all the more guilty as she was the reason why they were in a compromising situation like this.

Even with all of that, Blake never regretted the decision to express her feelings for Sun even with this problem that the two of them needed to face in the future. And that made her hold on to the promise that she made to her mother. For all this time, all that Sun did was to lend her strength to her throughout their journey. This time, it was Blake's turn and she will do everything that she can to be strong for the two of them.

The distance that the two of them shared was not enough for Blake to completely show the intimacy and concern that she wanted to give Sun and that made her level things up even more. She now completely placed her whole body on top of Sun's and looked at him directly in the eye's as she cupped her face with his hands.

Blake felt that she needed to do this. In order to make herself feel true for what she was about to say, and for her to comfort Sun in a way that would make him feel loved.

"Hey, don't say things like that. I'll always be here for you and I promise that"

"It's my turn to follow you. And I'll never leave you just like how you didn't leave me" Blake added.

Blake meant those words from the bottom of her heart and there was no way that she would back down from that promise. She knew that things may get complicated in the future, she knew that the two of them will be tested somehow, she knew that she still had feeling for Yang. But none of that mattered to her. All that she wanted was to always see the bright smile that Sun had and there was no way that she would exchange anything for that sight.

With the two of them in such close proximity to each other, both Sun and Blake instinctively went for a kiss which the two of them needed. Blake felt Sun's lips against her and she was happy to see that Sun's mood and love for her hadn't diminished a bit. As his body language and movement only told her that all that he felt was happiness.

Both of them continued to share their kiss until Blake felt that Sun was satisfied with their little exchange. Sun continued to wrap her against his arms and she felt all the more loved while they both revelled the feeling of each other's lips.

After they had done this, Blake completely sank on Sun's body without any intent to move over or to release him from her grasp. Blake had every motive to retain her position on Sun's body as she felt that she needed to do this in order to keep the boy safe. And by the looks of it, Sun had no objections as he continued to hug her whole body.

Blake decided to check on Sun for one last time before she decided to fully surrender to her body. She stared deeply on to those eyes of his and she was content to see that Sun's eyes were as bright as ever while he had a large smile on his face.

"Thanks, for everything Blake" Sun told her.

"You do know that I'm the one who should be saying that right?" Blake replied back with a cheerful voice.

"It doesn't have to be a contest"

"Yeah, it doesn't have to be. Because I still love you either way" Blake replied.

"I love you too. So rest up, my kitty cat needs her beauty sleep"

"Yes I do. Goodnight Sun"

"Goodnight Blake"

With the two of them content with the things that they had done for each other that night, both Blake and Sun could sleep easy. They both knew that they had each other and that was all of the assurance that they needed in order to keep their minds at peace for that night.

The heat of each other's bodies managed to easily make both Sun and Blake drowsy and that made it easier for them to both fall asleep at the same time. Even in their sleep, they both managed to keep each other company and safe as they both enveloped each other in an embrace. And with that, Blake and Sun had drifted off to sleep and would continue to do so for the rest of the night.

* * *

 **Well this is another chapter to add to the wall of text collection.**

 **I know I haven't updated in a while but I think that the length of this chapter is enough to justify how long it took to make. Had many late school nights trying to do this and I even thought that I could release it by the end of September. But I guess that early October is good enough.**

 **Also I would like to know if you prefer longer chapters like this or shorter ones. I wan't to know if the content I'm releasing is too long or too short so that I can do something to balance it all out depending on your guy's opinions.**

 **I never thought that I would reach this far in making this story and I'm thankful for the people who continue to read on every time I upload a new chapter. And also, I'd like to thank you guys because the story has already reached 6k views! Thanks for everything guys!**

 **As always, reviews are much appreciated and thank you for taking your time to read this story. See you next time!**


	20. Chapter 20

**WARNING: LONG READ AHEAD. GET A DRINK AND A SNACK BECAUSE THIS IS A BIG ONE**

* * *

The air was unusually cold that night. The wind was strong enough to blow strong breezes at his face and that made Neptune speed up in order to arrive at his destination faster. The cold air had managed to make his hairs stand on end and that feeling had made him want to get back to the comfort of his bed as fast as possible.

It was already a little bit late that night and that made most of the people retreat back into their homes in order to enjoy a goodnight's sleep. Because of the time, the streets barely had any people in them as they were either back in their homes or inside the establishments that were still open that late into the night.

Neptune had done some snooping around in the past week and he had learned that Qrow had been sighted in Mistral and that he went to bars frequently. Neptune really didn't find that as odd since he had heard that the old man was an alcoholic. He thought that he might be able to find Qrow along the commercial district since it also held the most popular bars in Mistral along with the many other businesses that it had along its proximity.

He had already reached the district and Neptune walked along the side of one street that he had set his foot on. A bar named the Night Owl was located along that street and he knew from some people that it was a bar that was frequented by a lot of people from outside the kingdom since it showcased many of Mistral's unique drinks that were suited for more older men. That was the reason why Neptune had the bright idea to visit the place as he thought that Qrow might have a hankering for that place.

Safety was something that Neptune thought about as he started to approach the establishment. He was only a teen after all and he knew that some eyes might turn towards him just because of his looks and the fact that he really shouldn't be in there. But he took some precautions just in case things went bad as he brought along his weapon and it was retracted behind his back in order to avoid unnecessary attention.

Neptune had started to reach the end of the road and he had already caught sight of the building that he was about to enter. The whole bar was only made up of a small building that could contain one floor. Neptune could see through the windows and he saw a little bit of what the place was all about. Small circular tables were scattered across the whole floor as men sat in their own individual seats to enjoy their drinks. The whole picture wasn't big enough for Neptune to be entirely sure what was in there, so he quickened his pace to get the whole thing over with.

After a few seconds of speed walking, Neptune reached the front door of the Night Owl and he tried to catch his breath. The door intimidated him as he was afraid of what might happen if he set foot inside. Neptune tried to find excuses in order to remove himself from that place but he needed to keep his oath and give Qrow the information that his best friend had given him. Sun was the one that had originally owed him in the first place but because of the events that happened that day, Neptune felt that he was the one that owed Sun at that point.

Before Neptune fully committed to go inside the bar, he took a couple of breaths in order to clear his mind and calm himself down. He wanted to act cool and collected as soon as he went inside and this was his way of removing all of the tension in his body.

His heartbeat started to die down and all of the nerves that he had earlier suddenly dissipated and that made Neptune all the more confident to enter inside. He was ready to check if the whole place was clear and he was sure that it wouldn't really take that long to scout the place out.

"Well, here goes nothing" Neptune said casually.

With his right hand, Neptune reached the doorknob and he turned it in order to open the door that was presented right in front of him. It immediately opened according to his whim and he took two swift steps into the building.

Neptune had immediately noticed that the whole place wasn't as bad as it seemed as he noticed that his ears didn't pick up on any commotion or noise that may have come from the people inside. All that he could see were tired and worn out customers who just wanted to enjoy a cold beverage before they retired for the night. This made Neptune sigh as his worries were all removed as he finally got the feel of the whole place.

The only thing that managed to make Neptune a little bit nervous were the few people that focused their eyes on him as soon as he entered. But that was to be expected because Neptune wasn't really the type of person that would go out drinking and he didn't look the part either. All that he got was a few confused glances and nothing more. With that whole situation taken care of, Neptune was finally able to do some investigating of his own.

The bar had a very calm atmosphere as Neptune observed that there were only a few people left inside. Most of the structure was made out of hardwood which was common in buildings across Mistral but all of the furniture were made of the same material and palette that they all melded together and managed to form a coherent and complete look that brought the whole place together.

Neptune saw that there was a large counter in the center of the room which showcased a variety of liquor that were stored within shelves, ready to be served upon the request of a customer. He thought that maybe the bartender knew any information about Qrow or if he had caught sight of him in any way since he didn't see him among the people who drank at the different tables.

He thought that it was worth a shot since he was already there so Neptune decided to take one more stop within the bar in order to complete his rounds at the place and maybe he could try out other places where Qrow could possibly end up in at that time of the night.

As Neptune slowly approached the counter, he felt that someone was looming over him and had their eyes trained on his body. It gave him a slight feeling of unease and that made him brush his shoulders in order to try and get rid of that sensation. Sadly, Neptune couldn't do anything to shake it off so he just proceeded to the counter and took a seat on one of the chairs that were laid out across the counter.

Neptune quietly sat down on his chair and he noticed that the bartender wasn't around. Without the bartender being there, Neptune had no more purpose or reason to remain at that place. Before he stood up from his chair, Neptune heaved a sigh of disappointment because of the fact that his first lead hadn't given him any useful information and that it would take longer than he expected before he could return back to his dorm room.

"I'm never going to find him at this point" Neptune muttered under his breath.

He really couldn't do anything about the whole situation since he had no other leads other than the fact that Qrow was sighted in bars like this. Neptune just decided to suck it up and try as hard as he can in order to finally make do with the promise that he made Sun.

Neptune had started to stand up from his seat and was finally ready to leave the whole place. But before he could do so, his whole body stopped as his ears caught a voice from the corner of his left side say something to him before he could leave.

"It depends on who you're trying to find kiddo. And by the way, aren't you a little bit young to be in this place?" the man said with a raspy voice.

The man spoke with a certain maturity which told Neptune that he was most certainly a lot older than he was. Neptune couldn't describe it, but he felt a little bit of mischief with how the man confronted him that it intrigued him in some way that he felt the need to look over to the man and at least find out who he was.

Neptune finally stood up from his seat with the intention to give the man who called him out a piece of his mind. He started to swing his head around to face the person and he was filled with both shock and relief as he finally found out who the man was.

He had only seen the old huntsman a few times and the times that he did was full of panic and danger as they were mostly at the time of the Vytal festival and eventually, the Fall of Beacon. But Neptune could still remember the dashing red cape and the whole stylish getup that Qrow always had. And the fact that he held a glass of some kind of liquor in his hand had cemented his suspicions that he was the one and only dusty old crow that he had been searching for.

"Well if you don't mind me asking, are you Qrow Branwen?" Neptune asked nervously.

"I've been called by that name in a few occasions. What do you want?" Qrow replied with more curiosity than he expected.

"I have something important to give you and a question to ask if you don't mind"

"I don't see anything wrong with that. But just so you know, if you try to pull anything funny, I'm not going to go easy on you just because you're a kid"

As Qrow said those words, he discretely grabbed the handle of his retracted sword. Obviously with the intent to show that he was ready to get down and dirty if the situation ever needed it to be. But Neptune really had no ill intent towards him and the only thing that he wanted was to talk.

"Hey man, the only thing that I'm here to do is talk" Neptune told him calmly.

"If that's the case, take a seat and let's get this over with" Qrow replied as he prepped a chair for Neptune to sit on along the counter.

Neptune hurried over to the seat that Qrow had saved for him and he had already sat down after only a few seconds. He felt around his pocket in order to make sure that the scroll that Sun had given him was still there. After all, this whole thing would have been meaningless if he wasn't able to bring it with him. But after a quick inspection, Neptune was greeted by the touch of the scroll against his fingers and that made it possible for him to proceed with his conversation with Qrow.

"Well before we start things off, what's your name?" Qrow started off.

"It's Neptune. I'm with team SSSN and my friend, ironically named Sun, has given me something that might be important in the future" Neptune replied back.

"So that Monkey boy has something for me? Then why didn't he just go here himself and give it to me" Qrow asked.

"I'll get into that later along with the question that I'll ask you. But first of all, you need to see this"

Neptune took the scroll that he had in his pocket and he placed it in between the two of them. It contained valuable information on the White Fang and both he and Sun knew that Qrow would be the best person to approach regarding this problem.

Qrow was intrigued by the scroll that Neptune had suddenly pulled out of nowhere. He knew that it contained some valuable information and he wanted to see what it was. He reached over with his hand and took it from the spot where Neptune had placed it. He thought that Neptune might show some resistance because he might have wanted something in return for the information. But he was surprised to see that Neptune just intently watched him as he browsed through the scroll. Which meant that the only thing that he really wanted at least at that point was for him to see the contents of the scroll.

The whole device was filled with folders regarding some high value intel on the White Fang. It detailed the current forces that they had in different kingdoms and locations as well as the gear that they currently had within their disposal. Qrow knew very well that the White Fang could pose as a great threat if they weren't dealt with and were left to dwell in the shadows. The Fall being a prime example of that.

But the one thing that caught Qrow's eye was the fact that all of the information also detailed the hideout of the cell that Adam lead within the kingdom of Mistral. He suspected that the next target for the enemies' next attack would be Mistral and the information that he was given had only provided him with more validation that his hunch was correct. Qrow needed to do something about this before things could get worse and he had every intent do deal with them when the time comes.

"I've got to tell you kid, this is some grade A intel right here" Qrow commented.

"What did you expect, that scroll came directly from Adam himself" Neptune replied.

"Wait, this came from the guy that attacked Beacon? How the hell did you get your hands on this?"

"It's a long story and even I don't know everything about it. But consider Adam out of the picture for now" Neptune told him.

"Well I've got to give it to this friend of yours, he has guts taking on an opponent like that" Qrow replied back.

"So, do you have any idea how we'll take care of this thing?" Neptune asked.

"Leave that up to me. I'll talk to a few people that I know so that we can pin this place down. Afterwards, we can deal with the Fang ourselves" Qrow told him with confidence.

"That's nice to hear. But I do have one more thing that I need to do before I leave"

"Oh yeah I forgot. You wanted to ask a question right?"

"Yeah, I just hope that you have the answer that I need"

"Maybe I do. So go ahead and ask, maybe we'll both walk out as winners tonight" Qrow told him cheerfully.

"Well, is there a chance that you know where the rest of team RWBY is?" Neptune asked nervously.

Qrow sat up straight because of the question that Neptune asked him. He really had no idea why he asked this but he did know where they were. In fact, they were all at Mistral right now after a week of staying there. If he only knew Neptune a little bit more, he might've immediately answered his question. But Qrow knew that safety was a must during these times so he tried to get more information on Neptune and why he asked this.

"Before I answer your question, why do you want to know?" Qrow asked.

"Sun wanted to know where they were since," Neptune paused.

"Since what?" Qrow repeated.

"Just so you know, Blake is back. She's with Sun right now and the two of them are trying to find where the rest of her teammates are" Neptune replied.

Qrow had heard that name from the time that he spent with the two of his nieces. Blake was the quiet Faunus girl that Yang and Ruby had as teammates and the last time that he had heard of her was during the time of the Fall where she abruptly left all of them. This increased Qrow's curiosity even more and it got him more involved with the conversation than he thought he would.

"The emo cat girl? I thought she left and never came back" Qrow told him.

"It's another long story. The only thing that's important is that she's back and that she's trying to get together with Ruby, Weiss, and Yang. So do you have any idea where they are?" Neptune asked with pleading eyes.

"Well I guess that you guys earned it. It might come across as a surprise to you guys, but all three of them are here in Mistral right now. Jaune, Ren, and Nora too. They've already spent about a week in here and I'm shocked that you haven't caught sight of them yet" Qrow told Neptune.

As soon as Neptune learned that the rest of team RWBY were already in Mistral, he quietly leapt with joy within himself as he had possessed some good news for Sun and Blake. He was ecstatic to tell the two of them that all of Blake's teammates were only a fingertip away from her and they could easily reunite with each other the next day.

"Do you have any idea when we can arrange some kind of meet up of some sort?" Neptune asked enthusiastically.

"All of them aren't really that involved in anything important right now so I guess we can arrange something tomorrow. If that's okay with you guys" Qrow replied back.

"Are you kidding? Blake wants to see the rest of her teammates as soon as she can so I doubt that she'll pass up the opportunity to reunite with them"

"Fine fine. So where do you propose to meet up tomorrow?" Qrow asked.

"The two of them are currently staying at a place near the park. So why not just meet up there" Neptune informed him.

"Well that settles it then. I'll get them to go to the park tomorrow and all that you need to do is to make sure that you guys arrive on time" Qrow told Neptune.

"Of course, I'll tell Sun about the good news as soon as I can. But keep it a surprise will you"

"That's obvious, it wouldn't really be fun if I spilled the beans" Qrow replied.

With a date already set and the perfect location for all of them to meet, Neptune was filled with excitement as tomorrow would be full of good vibes as they would be seeing their old friends once again and maybe have some fun while they were at it. Things had started to get even more interesting and he thought that nothing could go wrong with the plan that both Qrow and him had made.

Neptune was just about to thank Qrow because of his cooperation and the fact that they were able to arrange a meetup for them to reconnect with their friends. But as he was to speak up, Qrow beat him to the punch and cut him off before any words could come out from his mouth.

"Look kid, I know that things feel like they're going to be sunshine and rainbows. Not to say that it won't be, but I think that you're missing one thing that could send the whole thing burning to the ground" Qrow told him with a genuine concern.

At first, Neptune didn't know what Qrow had meant with what he had just told him. But after a few seconds of thinking about the whole scenario, Neptune remembered one small chink in their plan and that was the confrontation that might happen because of both Blake and Yang seeing each other again after a long time.

He was informed that Blake had left team RWBY during the Fall without even a single message or note to indicate that she had left them. All of them had felt devastated by it but both he and Sun knew that Yang was the one person that felt the most bad about it and in some degree, betrayed because of what Blake had done.

With this new information that came to light, there was a new factor that they had to consider regarding the reunion that they had planned.

"It's about Blake and Yang, isn't it?" Neptune tried to confirm.

"Bingo. Those two are currently in a really bad spot right now and I know my niece enough to know that she's not going to be calm and collected when she sees her again"

"Well, what can we do about it?" Neptune asked.

"The two of them will have to face each other directly whether they like it or not. If they both see each other tomorrow, at least we'll be with them if things get too heated"

"Knowing Yang, I'm sure that things won't go smoothly as we hope it will be" Neptune commented.

"That's no secret. Just make sure that you and your boys will be ready to pull her out if she goes berserk or something" Qrow joked.

"You do know that we can possibly get killed if that happens right?"

"Hey, if you're too afraid to risk your life for this I can easily call this whole thing off you know" Qrow reminded him.

"No no, it's fine. We need a good life or death situation once in a while to keep things interesting right?" Neptune replied.

"Is that all kid? Because it's really getting late and I know that you want to go back to your bed as much as I want to see you gone" Qrow asked him.

He was right, the night had continued to progress as they both continued with their conversation and he was pretty much sure that it was as late as he needed it to be. Things were pretty much ready for tomorrows little gathering and Neptune had completely settled his business with Qrow. So he deemed it okay for him to return back to their dorm and finally get a good night's sleep.

"Well if you don't mind, I'd like to go back to my dorm now because we've already taken care of everything. Let's just hope that things go smoothly tomorrow" Neptune told Qrow.

Neptune had stood up from the chair that he sat on as he was finally ready to retreat back to his bed and go directly to sleep. He was done for the night and there was nothing more than he wanted to do than enjoy the rest of the night in peace. Neptune was about to bid Qrow farewell as a sign of respect, but like what happened before, Qrow was faster than him and he suggested one more thing for Neptune to do before he left for the night.

"Hey kid, you've given me some vital information that can win us a battle easily and you guys are about to meet some old friends tomorrow. I think that merits a little drink for us to celebrate" Qrow suggested.

The old man raised up his glass in order to serve as a sign of invitation for Neptune to at least drink a small amount to celebrate this little encounter between the two of them. They've achieved a lot with the little meeting that they had even though it happened in only a short amount of time and Neptune was definitely proud of what he had done that night. But even with all of that, he didn't feel like he needed to drink at all and he wasn't going to agree to Qrow's invitation. Even though it felt like more of a joke than anything else.

"No thanks. I think I'm too young to handle that stuff and no offense, I don't want to end up like you in a way" Neptune told him.

"That's a good sign kid. Enjoy being sober while you're young. Maybe you'll miss it once you grow up" Qrow replied.

"Thanks for the advice, I guess" Neptune finished.

With their little farewell exchange taken care of, Neptune proceeded to exit the building swiftly and before Qrow knew it, he was out of the bar in an instant.

With his little visitor finally gone, Qrow was finally alone once again while he was left to his own business. The whole place had suddenly become quieter than usual without the young kid and he was able to think to himself as he sat there with his half empty glass of liquor.

Tomorrow was something that would be more eventful than usual as Ruby and the others would get to reunite with their long lost friend after months of not seeing her and left without any news regarding her condition. Qrow knew that the red ball of energy that was Ruby would just be happy the whole time as she was the most optimistic out of the four of them. Meeting with Blake would surely be a big treat for Ruby and Qrow was relieved that at least one of the four girls tomorrow won't react so violently when the inevitable reunion happens.

But Ruby was not the only person who made up team RWBY. Qrow also thought about how the so called "Ice Queen" will feel when she met Blake in person. He knew her as the cold type of person, the same as her sister Winter who Qrow was acquainted with at the very least. But even though Weiss had a cold demeanour, he thought that she would handle things rationally like she always did and wouldn't let things go overboard with her feelings.

With those two currently in the clear for tomorrow's event, there was only one thing for Qrow to worry about and it was one thing that he couldn't deal with lightly. Yang was definitely a force to be reckoned with and even he shuddered under the impression of her getting truly mad at something.

Yang had very strong feelings regarding Blake and it ranged from longing, love, and the most dangerous of them all, anger. Qrow knew that Yang would want to reconnect with her old partner to the best of her abilities and he really couldn't fault Yang for that. But she was a complicated person and Qrow knew that anger would be the main setting for Yang's emotions for tomorrow. Even though Yang wouldn't want her feelings to be like that, the negative experiences that she has with her had taken root and had effects on her mind that even she couldn't comprehend.

Her emotions are directly tied to her semblance and that is the reason why Qrow was worried about what would happen. Yang's semblance was directly connected to what she felt and the massive swell of emotions that her reunion with Blake would make may cause her to overload and go into a complete meltdown.

But even with all of the things that could go wrong, Qrow had no intention of calling the whole thing off even with the danger that could happen. Yang needed to be surrounded by the people who can support her and even though Blake left her, she was the only one that could fix Yang whether the blonde liked it or not.

All of the thinking that Qrow had done had managed to tire him out and it made him take a big swig out of the glass he had. The smooth liquid had burned his throat slightly but the heat that it brought as it landed in his stomach had made up for it and had managed to soothe him back to relaxation. He had also realized that it was pretty late already and even though he stayed up later during nights like these, he thought that tomorrow was an important enough day for him to hit the sack early rather than become groggy in the morning.

With a stomach full of liquor and the feeling of unconsciousness about to strike him, Qrow took his wallet and left a sum of Lien in order to cover for the tab that he had accumulated throughout his stay in the bar. He had fun throughout his stay in the humble bar and he would certainly come back when his schedule was once again free. But he had more pressing matters to deal with for the time being and it was best for Qrow to sleep for the night and be ahead of schedule for things to go as smoothly as it possibly can.

"Here's to hoping that tomorrow won't be so chaotic"

Qrow said to himself before he headed out the door and went outside where the cold air immediately hit him and made him all the more conditioned to rest up and conserve his energy that he would inevitably need for the following day.

* * *

The early morning had bought with it a radiant sunshine that brightened up the kingdom of Mistral all throughout. It signaled the beginning of a new day which meant that there would be work to do and things to tend to for the rest of the day.

Most citizens of Mistral would treat the morning as a way to prepare for the rest of the errands that they would need to do in order to support themselves or to deal with the obligations that they had. But for Blake, it was nothing more than a nuisance to her perfectly peaceful slumber and it annoyed her that there was a crease in the curtains that let some of the sunlight to directly shine towards her eyes and force her to wake up.

Even though her mind was already awake, Blake didn't have a single care in the world as she tried to force herself to return back to her earlier condition of sleep. But even with all of her efforts, it bare no fruit as Blake felt a feeling of unrest because of something that had changed in her surroundings. Blake couldn't identify what it was since she thought that it was only the sunlight but her senses were also affected because of the fact that she still felt sleepy at the time.

As Blake tossed and turned on the spacious bed that she was in, she realized the one thing that changed and the reason that she chose which caused her to continue to be awake. Blake surveyed the whole room and she was dismayed to find out the Sun was nowhere to be found and the only trace that was left of him was the creases that he left on the sheets which meant that he had woken up early and left her alone to sleep.

The whole room somehow felt empty without anyone to accompany Blake and it made her already disappointing morning even worse than it was because there was no one there to greet her or at least acknowledge her existence.

Blake felt silly because of the things that she felt as she realized that she was so used to Sun's presence that she almost relied on it for her to function. It was an outrageous thought but it was one idea that Blake couldn't fully deny. But she really couldn't do anything at the moment as she had no way to contact Sun and Blake had no idea where he would be since it was only her second day in Mistral and she didn't know her way around the large kingdom.

To get her blood flowing and to at least get her day started, Blake decided to tidy herself up in order for her to do something with her free time rather than just laze around and hopefully wait for Sun's return. The day had started to show signs that it would be hot and the nightgown that Blake had worn the previous night had made the air feel hotter than it actually was because of the fabric that it was made out of.

Blake had an assortment of clothes in her wardrobe and she decided that it would be best for her if she changed into something more comfy at least for the time being while she was still inside their room. She went over to the second closet that they had which was designated to Blake and she rifled through her clothes and checked to see if there was anything that could fight against the heat that she felt.

She spotted in the corner of her eye a black tank top that she had purchased back in Menagerie and she remembered that she had also worn it back then because of the intense heat of her hometown. Blake decided that it would be fine for her to reuse the top since it was washed clean before she packed it up and there was really nothing wrong with wearing it in an enclosed place like that. She took it from the neat pile that it was located in and placed it on the bed.

The rest of the clothes that Blake had bought with her had no real effect against the blazing heat so she didn't pay any attention to the rest of it and she promptly closed the closet since she was done with looking for any more clothes to wear.

The only piece of clothing that Blake wanted to wear was the comfortable tank top that she had chosen and immediately after she had chosen it, Blake walked over to her bed and had started to undress in order to change into the top that she had chosen. The nightgown that she wore was smooth to the touch so it was very easy for Blake to remove it, leaving her in only her underwear without it.

Blake immediately realized that the only thing that covered up her body was the matching black underwear that she had on and the sudden thought of a person entering the room unexpectedly had crossed her mind which put her in a state of panic. She would surely die of embarrassment if someone saw her like that.

With that thought in mind, Blake rushed over to the door in the corner of the room in order to make sure that it was locked. She was so fast to spring towards the door that she almost tripped on her own two feet because of how fast she ran towards it. Blake had reached the door in an ungodly speed which gave her enough time to check if the door was locked or not.

But as she turned the doorknob, Blake felt like the stupidest person in the world. She immediately realized that the door was absolutely locked tight which meant that she panicked over nothing and had almost injured herself because of her wrong assumption. The only thing that made the situation more bearable was the fact that she was now fully awake because of her state of panic and she no longer felt the effects of sleep in her mind.

Blake let out a small laugh to herself as she really was acting all crazy that morning. Maybe it was because she woke up in a time that she wanted to stay asleep in or the fact that Sun had left her so suddenly that caused her whole mind to go haywire.

Either way, Blake decided to change into the top that she had prepared as to not waste anymore time. She went over to the bed which the tank top was placed on and she picked it up and slipped into it in a matter of a split second. Things were considerably better compared to when she wore her nightgown as the heat affected her less now that she wore the top and it freed her body even more because of the lesser amount of fabric that it had.

The top that she wore was known to cover less than she wanted but the main reason that she wore it was to not show off, but to alleviate any situation where she felt too hot for comfort. And with that reason alone, it had worked wonders which Blake attested to as she breathed a sigh of comfort because of how much more comfortable she felt while she wore it.

Blake had started to enjoy the peace and quiet of the whole room as she absorbed any amount of air around her which could lessen the heat that she felt. She closed her eyes in order to increase the feeling of relaxation that she had and it started to do wonders for her as it made her mind clear for the time being.

A few more seconds passed as Blake maintained her current position on the edge of the bed as she started to adjust to her surroundings. There was only one more thing missing before she could truly feel at ease but Sun was still gone so she had to make do with what she had.

But her moment of tranquility had suddenly been interrupted by a subtle knock on the door which Blake had immediately picked up. The only person that Blake could think of that would knock at their room was Sun. The thought of Sun finally returning had made Blake's mind turn blank and made her rush towards the door even faster than she did earlier. And without her knowing, Blake had forgotten to put on a much more decent outfit than she had which was sure to cause some commotion for them start off the day.

Sun's voice had started to accompany the steady knock of the door which was meant to wake Blake up as Sun thought that she would still be asleep since he knew that she was a heavy sleeper.

"Blakey, open up! I bought some food with me since we need to eat up. We have a big day ahead of us" Sun told her from outside of the room.

The door was not enough to contain the enthusiastic tone of Sun's voice and that made Blake immediately respond to his call. Upon hearing his words, Blake quickly unlocked the doorknob and she almost threw the door sideways in order to quickly open up the door for Sun.

As the door opened, it revealed Sun who carried two large paper bags with him and the smell of fresh bread and milk started to enter Blake's nostrils. She hadn't eaten any breakfast yet and the two smells that greeted her as she opened the door made her stomach rumble and incited the hunger that she now felt.

"How long have you've been gone?" Blake asked.

"Roughly 30-minutes. There was a bakery near this place and I thought that we should have breakfast together. I heard that they made fresh bread so why not try it out" Sun answered.

"That's nice to know. Well you should place that on the table over there and let's eat" Blake told him excitedly.

Blake gestured over to Sun for him to enter and he was happy to oblige to her request. But Sun had realized something that he hadn't caught on earlier and it was because he felt tired from the trip that he took in order to get some food for them. But now that his mind had come to its senses, Sun looked at Blake from where he stood and he realized that the girl had worn something more revealing once again and it had frozen him right where he stood.

Blake immediately realized that Sun had suddenly stopped in his tracks and she could see that his eyes had started to move up and down. As if it analyzed her all throughout and the surprised expression that Sun had on his face and the subtle blush that he had just added on to Blake's curiosity on what his actions meant.

"Umm Sun, why are you acting like that?"

"Well for starters, you really, really look good on that outfit of yours" Sun told her without any sign of hesitation.

Sun paused for a bit as he intended to let the message that he told Blake sink in to her core so that she can realize it herself. It seemed like Blake was so eager to wait for his arrival that she had thrown every thought in her mind out into the window just to immediately acknowledge his presence. Sun was flattered by how much Blake wanted to be always around him but that made her vulnerable to things like this and Sun wanted her to see the error of her ways.

Blake had started to wonder why Sun had continued to stay outside of the room while he maintained the smile on his face and his blush that got bigger by the second. She started to look around her in order to see if something was wrong around her but after a quick glance to her surroundings, she saw nothing that was out of place or out of the ordinary.

But Blake remembered the earlier compliment that Sun had told him and that made her take a second look at herself. Blake was so naive that she forgot that she hadn't worn anything to cover her bare underwear and it also didn't help that the top that she wore exposed her midriff.

With her sudden realization, even Blake had a large blush on her face but she was so shocked that she had frozen in place while she clutched her hands as she was embarrassed to look like that in front of Sun so early into the morning. Even though Sun had already seen her multiple times like that, Blake didn't want him to think that she tried so hard to get his attention and it definitely wasn't the image that she wanted to paint for him.

After a few more awkward seconds, Sun had realized that Blake was paralyzed by embarrassment that she couldn't even lift a single muscle. Sun felt responsible for her feeling like that and it made him feel bad that Blake acted like that because of him. He couldn't bear to see her like that and it made him act up in order to fix the little mistake that he had done.

Sun placed the two paper bags that he had on his hands and placed it on the ground before Blake. He did that so that his two arms could be free because of what he was about to do. With his hands free to move around without anything to obstruct them, Sun walked over to Blake slowly while the girl looked up at him while he did so.

In a surprising turn of events, Sun picked up Blake with both of his hands and carried the full weight of her body against his own. Blake was surprised by this and she let out an audible squeal because of it and Sun thought that it was the most adorable thing that he had ever heard.

With his left foot, Sun kicked the door from where it was in order to close it while Blake still laid on his arms. The click of the door as it locked into place had signalled that their privacy was once again intact and with that, Sun rushed towards the large bed that they had and launched both him and Blake towards it while he let out laughs of amusement while doing so.

Blake was completely confused on what was going on but the sudden turn of events had completely overshadowed the embarrassment that she had earlier and she found herself joining Sun in his laughter as Sun had decided to play around with her after their awkward situation.

The two of them both tussled and wrestled around as Sun tried to continuously tickle Blake in order to force her to laugh. Blake tried to fight him off as best as she could but Sun was too strong for her to handle and she was forced to take the tickles that he gave her which caused her to laugh out loud because of the sensation that she felt.

Sun continued to do this for a few more instances until he decided that Blake needed to take a breath so that she wouldn't pass out. But even with the rest that he had given her, Blake still stuttered with laughter as she looked completely amused with the little game that they had played.

"What's gotten into you?" Blake asked as she continued to laugh.

"Is it wrong to entertain my girlfriend once in a while?" Sun told her back.

"If it means anything, thanks for bailing me out on that one" Blake replied.

Blake didn't have to say anything more to thank Sun for what he had done. She knew Sun well enough to know that he would do something like that in order to remove her from situations where she felt uncomfortable in some way. She appreciated this act of his and she would always remember the small instances that Sun had did this for her.

"Don't even mention it. But I'm not lying either, you do look good right now" Sun told Blake.

Sun continued to reinforce the compliment that he gave her earlier and it made Blake blush once again but it was different from the earlier one that she had. It was more genuine and filled with feelings and she felt a lot more comfortable with the way how Sun approached her that time.

But Sun already thought that Blake had enough time to recover and he once again started to play around with her. He was now completely on top of her while he hugged her with both of his arms. But instead of bombarding her with tickles, Sun changed it up a little bit and instead peppered her with a bunch of small kisses to her face which Blake faced with no hesitation at all while she continued to laugh in enjoyment while they were locked in that position.

The dreary morning that Blake thought that she had was now replaced with nothing but fun and laughter as both Sun and her fooled around in order to pass the time. The whole room felt empty when Sun was not there to accompany her but all of those feelings were undermined by only a few seconds of him being there.

Blake continued to enjoy the small kisses that Sun planted on her face and she felt safe under the embrace that he had put her under. But she thought that Sun couldn't be the only one to show off in that situation so Blake decided to up the ante like she always did.

Sun had just started to prep for another kiss in the cheek to give to Blake but he was surprised to see that his advance was halted by Blake's finger that had obstructed his lips from going any further. He thought that Blake might have had enough of the antics that they had done and that the time had come for the two of them to stop. Before Sun could ask her if she was done with their little game, he noticed that a smile unfolded on Blake's cute face and the blush that she had became bigger.

The element of surprise was completely on Blake's side as Sun was still oblivious as always. She effortlessly wrapped her two arms around Sun's face and pulled him closer in order to plant a large kiss on his lips. Blake fully expected that Sun would be surprised by her sudden act of affection and she was completely right in that regard. But Sun didn't let that stifle the moment that they had and he gladly returned the kiss.

Blake's morning had felt complete to her as she was able to start the day right at least in her opinion. She was able to spend quality time with Sun early into the morning. They both promised that they would make the most out of the time that they had with each other and she was happy to know that the two of them could consistently fulfil the promise that they had made to each other.

With the comforting kiss that both Blake and Sun shared finally over, Sun decided that it was time for the two of them to have breakfast in order to follow the schedule that he and Neptune had setup for the day. There was a huge surprise that awaited Blake that day and Sun was eager to get things going in order for their whole plan to work.

"Now that playtime is over, would you like to eat some breakfast now?" Sun asked.

"Gladly. That whole tussle made me hungry you know" Blake replied back.

In order to prepare the breakfast that he had bought, Sun went over to the paper bags that he had left near the door and picked them both up from the ground. Blake in the meantime, made her way to the small circular table that was placed near the window which would be the setting for their small meal together. Blake took her place on one of the chairs at the opposite end of the table while Sun made his way to the free seat and placed the paper bags that he had that were filled with food.

Sun took out the contents of the paper bags that he had and he revealed a whole loaf of bread alongside some strawberry jam to pair it up with it. He also bought two bottles of milk specifically with Blake in mind as he thought that she would like some fresh milk for the morning.

Blake looked very eager to dig in to the small spread that Sun had laid out in front of her and the look on Blake's face had made Sun start off their meal as fast as possible in order to give fulfillment to the hungry looks that she made with her face.

"Well what are you waiting for? Dig in" Sun told Blake.

"Here goes nothing" Blake replied back with excitement.

The two of them started to enjoy the food that Sun had bought even though it wasn't as heavy as the meals that they had back in Menagerie. Both Sun and Blake had definitely missed Kali's cooking but the bread and milk that Sun had provided was good enough for Blake because the thought of him bringing breakfast over to their room was enough for her to be thankful for what he had done.

Blake had started to apply the jam to her bread. As soon as she felt that the jam that she had applied was finally enough, Blake folded the two sides together in order to make it more manageable for her to eat and as soon as she did so, the hungry girl took one big bite out of it and almost half of the bread that Blake had prepared had already been transferred directly into her mouth.

Sun couldn't resist to watch Blake as she eagerly ate the food that he had brought over. He thought that it was funny how a girl as quiet and reserved like Blake could eat in that way and it made him smile to know that this was another side of Blake that had surfaced overtime.

But the sudden rumble of his stomach had steered him away from continuously watching Blake and that made Sun prepare his own piece of bread in order to satisfy his own hunger. He started to mimic the process that Blake had done in order to create his own bread. In just a few seconds, Sun had a jelly smothered piece of bread in his hands and he started to eat it slowly as both Blake and him enjoyed the relaxing silence around them.

Sun tried to contain the excitement and anticipation that he had on his mind because of the news that Neptune had given him very early into the morning. He and Neptune had met up as early as they could and his best friend had somehow created a miracle as it only took them one night to find out that the rest of team RWBY were actually in Mistral already. Sun had jumped in joy because of the fact that Blake would be able to fulfil her wish immediately and meet her old friends again.

Neptune had already informed him that they were all designated to meet on the park that was near the room that they stayed at as Neptune knew that the two of them were there and the park was the most convenient location for them to meet since they were in such a close vicinity to it. Sun decided that the two of them should have breakfast as early as possible and that was the reason why he brought breakfast to their room instead of finding breakfast outside.

But even with all of the excitement that Sun had for the upcoming reunion that they were bound to have, something also troubled his mind and it concerned Yang who he learned had already reached Mistral and would also participate in their gathering that day.

Things had been good for both Blake and him for the past few weeks that they had spent with each other and he couldn't imagine any other place than he wanted to be in besides near Blake every single second that he had spent breathing. Their relationship was as good as it could be but Sun couldn't deny that the two of them would have to face the challenge that their relationship had ever since the two of them decided to be together.

Blake was about to see Yang again and the storm that was about to be created because of their reunion would bring with it some problems that Sun had anticipated for quite a while now. All of the happy times that he had spent with Blake had buried the doubt that he had for their relationship for quite a while and he didn't regret anything that he had done that lead them to where they were at right now. He had already experienced the sensation of being loved and giving love back and he felt thankful that he had felt those feelings as Sun never thought that he would never reach that point with his relationship with Blake.

His happiness had finally been complete and Sun was content to know that Blake was also happy with their relationship together. But Sun could never forgive himself if he didn't give Blake the opportunity to fix the bond that both she and Yang had before the tragedy that befell all of them. Sun wanted to give Blake the closure that she needed regarding her feelings towards Yang and even though Sun knew that it could bring an end to what he had with Blake, he felt that it would be right if he gave Blake the option to choose who she wanted to be with. And whether it be him or Yang, Sun would try and be happy for Blake no matter what the outcome would be.

All of thinking that Sun had done while they silently ate had made him look at Blake tenderly while she continued to pay no mind to her surroundings as she continued to eat the food right in front of her. Sun had thought about losing Blake so much that every fleeting second that he spent not looking at her felt wasted. He completely stopped eating and all that he did was stare at Blake, his eyes filled with tenderness and love as he tried to cherish every moment that he still had with her.

Sun felt enchanted by every single movement that Blake did. It was almost as if the whole world had started to slow down because of her but no matter how much Sun tried to peel his eyes away from her, he just couldn't.

Blake had started to eat her second piece of bread and she was already halfway through the whole piece. The whole consistency of the bread and jam combo had made her feel thirsty and she was glad that there was a free bottle of milk on the table along with the food that Sun had bought and she greedily opened up one of them and drank to her heart's content. Blake let out a satisfied gulp as her thirst was quenched by the fresh and cold milk and that made her able to resume eating.

As she continued to take one last bite on the bread that he had, Blake noticed that things between both Sun and her had become too quiet. With the piece of bread that she had finally consumed and with nothing else to keep her busy, it gave Blake the opportunity to look over to Sun and see how he was doing with his own food.

Blake looked over to the opposite end of the table and she was surprised to see that Sun had only finished half of his food. All that she saw was Sun looking at her intently with a smile, mimicking the same thing that she did the previous day. That made her curious to what Sun had on his mind and the only thing that could relieve her curiosity was to ask Sun directly on why he looked at her like that.

"Sun, are you okay?" Blake asked.

Blake was successful in snapping out Sun from his current state as he immediately looked surprised when she tried to get his attention. But Sun tried the best that he could in order to not suffer the same embarrassment that Blake experienced when she did the same thing to him. Sun didn't know why, but his mind had suddenly turned up blank and he couldn't think of any words to save him from this situation. All that he could think about was a jumble of words and his mind couldn't create a sentence that would send an actual message.

Without any other choice left, Sun did the only thing that he could think off and tell the truth. He didn't have any more words to say and that was the only option that he currently had.

"To be honest, I don't really know" Sun replied with a shy smile on his face.

Sun's current behavior started to make Blake a little bit worried. Something about the whole situation just didn't sit well with her and the whole scene felt familiar and she didn't know why. Blake tried to remember anything within her head that could resemble the same feeling that their current situation exhibited. And after a few seconds, Blake remembered that Sun had already expressed these feelings in the past and not in a very good way.

Blake remembered that Sun showed these feelings whenever he showed doubt regarding their relationship with each other. He didn't want to show it, but Sun always had some doubt within his heart whether they would have the ability to remain with each other. These thoughts had reminded Blake of the previous night that they had spent together. Sun had expressed the worries that he had and Blake knew that he was afraid, afraid that he would be tossed to the side because of her leaving him.

She didn't know what or why those feelings had been incited within Sun but it made Blake feel bad nonetheless. It hurt her to see Sun in a state like this and Blake knew that she was the only one that could help him get over his fear of being left alone. For once, she was the one that needed to be there for a person. The first time that she needed to uphold the responsibility to make a person feel that they are not alone.

The only way that Blake could think off to at least alleviate the feelings that had stirred up within Sun was to hold his hand. She placed her right hand on top of Sun's and Blake clutched it as tight as she could. And to accompany it, she also placed a tender smile on her face in order to show Sun that she was still happy in light of the current situation that they were in. Sun always hated to see Blake sad or feeling down in any way and that was her way to show that she was fine and that would hopefully ease back Sun into relaxation.

Blake felt the tension that had built up within Sun as she continued to hold his hand. The boy had somehow showed the weight that he carried with him through the simple holding of hands that the two of them were doing. It's as if Sun had tried to show how he felt through the simple and intimate touch that they shared and Blake could feel that Sun tried to get strength from her even if he didn't want to show it.

"It's okay, you don't need to explain" Blake told Sun as she tried to sympathize with his emotions.

"I feel like a complete idiot right now" Sun replied as he let out a weak laugh to lighten up the mood at least a little bit.

"Don't be, we all have our off days and today might just be yours"

"Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But I can't keep acting like this, we do have something big for today and I want you to be happy for it so just don't mind me"

Blake was still uncertain whether or not Sun was okay enough for her to be relieved. But he had alluded to something that had caught Blake's attention. Sun had just said that there was something huge in store for that day and what made her curious was the fact that Sun hadn't given him prior notice to what he had planned.

"Wait, what do you have planned today? You didn't tell me anything about it" Blake asked.

"Well to be honest it's kind of a last minute thing. Neptune and the guys are going to meet us in the park and we have to be there as early as possible. And besides them, we're also going to meet some other people" Sun replied.

She noticed that Sun had returned back to his earlier tone and he was now more cheerful than the monotonous tone that he had a few moments earlier. The thing that he had planned might might've been really big according to Blake's thoughts as just telling her that he had something planned had made Sun revert back to his earlier state as if nothing had happened.

"Who are we going to meet?" Blake asked with much enthusiasm.

"There's Neptune along with Sage and Scarlet, but we're going to meet some other people and I'm sure that they're dying to meet you"

"Are these friends of yours also eager to learn about the two of us? Because if they are, I hope that they don't act like Neptune did"

It was no surprise that Sun wanted to keep the whole thing a secret from Blake as he didn't want to ruin the surprise that he had. He tried to be as obscure as possible in order for Blake to not be suspicious of him and his attempts at doing so were working just fine.

But he remembered how energetic Ruby was and he knew that the brunette wouldn't take the news of them being together lightly. He also wondered about how Weiss would react since Sun remembered that the girl had a more energetic side that she usually didn't expose for the world to see. And it made him wonder if their reunion would spark that side of her. And of course there was Yang to worry about. As usual, she was a wildcard and he really had no idea what she would feel if she heard that both Blake and him were actually together. But Sun tried to stay away from anymore negative thoughts as he didn't want to be more of a downer than he already was.

"They won't be as worse as Neptune, but I really doubt that they would stay quiet to be honest" Sun replied.

"That's something to wait for. I'm glad that I feel that we've done so much already and it's only our second day in Mistral"

"I'm happy that you're excited for it. So make sure that you eat up and look as beautiful as you can. But I doubt that you can get anymore good looking than that" Sun ended with another compliment for Blake.

"And that reminds me,"

Blake was caught off guard as she saw that Sun had started to come closer to her with his hand reaching for her face. She didn't know why Sun had done this but she just decided to sit still and find out what it was. Blake felt Sun as he got closer and closer to her until she could finally feel his soft fingers brush against the side of her lips as Sun calmly wiped them both. Apparently, she had neglected to attend to the excess milk that she had on her lips and Sun had decided to take care of it on his own.

"You had some milk over there Blakey. Wouldn't want anything to stain that face of yours"

Sun was successful in making Blake blush once again and the cute face that she had made with the small act that he did continued to slowly lift up his spirit and bring him back to the earlier jolliness that he had.

"I'm just going to finish my food and if you want, we can head over to the park right now" Blake suggested.

"That's a good idea. I already told Neptune that we should meet at the center of the park and we'll just wait for them there if we're too early. And if you want, we could go around the whole place if you want to do some sightseeing"

"Yeah why not. If they're not already there we could pass some time with just the two of us"

"We're going to have a lot of fun and I can already feel it." Sun replied.

"By the way if you don't mind, can I have that milk of yours?" Blake asked.

Sun looked over to the bottle of milk that Blake had and he was surprised to see that Blake had completely drank all of its contents in just a short amount of time. It made him satisfied to know that he was right to bring milk for her and he didn't even mind that Blake asked for the bottle of milk that he had. In fact, he was even amused that Blake was still not done consuming food after everything that she had already eaten.

"No biggie. I actually bought two just because I knew that you would want another one" Sun told her.

He handed over the bottle of milk that was still completely full and Blake grabbed it hastily while she immediately gulped down every last drop of the creamy liquid that was inside. Blake was immediately satisfied with the meal that she was given and all of the food that she had eaten had managed to fuel her up and feel prepared for the upcoming surprise that Sun had told her about.

With her belly full along with the overwhelming excitement that she had, Blake was fully ready to head over to the park and get on with their second day in Mistral. But before they could leave, Blake remembered that she still had to put decent clothes on and that was her main priority before the two of them could leave.

"I'm just going to dress up and we can be on our way" Blake told Sun.

"Take as much time as you want. It's going to be a big day you know" Sun replied with a smile.

"Don't worry, I won't take that long"

Blake headed over to her closet and she picked out the usual set of clothes that she wore when they were outside. The large coat that she had along with the comfortable and more decent black top which was certainly her favorite thing to wear. And to top it all off, her old pants that were light enough to be comfortable even with the heat that surrounded her.

All of the clothes that she picked where all in folded neat piles and washed cleanly. Blake decided to change in the bathroom in order to avoid any more complicated situations with Sun and so that she could put on her clothes in a fast manner as she would not be flustered with Sun's presence as she changed.

"I'm just going to change in the bathroom. I'll be back in a few" Blake announced.

Sun nodded his head in order to acknowledge the little announcement that Blake had made. Blake noticed that Sun had returned to his happier state compared to how he acted earlier. As Blake started to disappear into the confines of the bathroom, she couldn't erase from her mind the wide smile that Sun had on his face as he looked at her intently. That smile had managed to bring warmth to her heart and she held it dearly within herself.

As Blake locked the door behind her and ensured her privacy, she promised to herself that she would do everything that she could in order to keep the smile that Sun had on his face that was clearly embedded in her mind. It was her greatest source of strength and Blake didn't want the light that Sun had to fade away.

With the determination to see the day through without Sun ever having to drop the smile on his face, Blake started to undress as fast as she could and hastily put on the set of clothes that she had. It felt good to be back and wearing her own clothes again and it made Blake move much easier since she was familiar on how her body moved under the weight of all those clothes.

And in just under a minute, Blake had completely changed to her original outfit and she went outside of the bathroom in order to give Sun the go sign for them to head over the park.

"Well that was fast" Sun commented.

"Not all girls take an hour to prepare. Let's go, I'm excited to see what you have in store" Blake replied.

"Trust me, you won't believe your eyes once we finally get to the main event"

"I hope you're right"

The duo had finally completed all of the necessary preparations that they needed in order to make sure that their trip to the park would go smoothly. Blake had tidied herself up and she felt fresh with the change of clothes that she had and the meal that she had enjoyed. Sun on the other hand, made sure that he had some spare Lien to bring along with them in case they wanted to spend it on something and he also made sure that he had the keys to their room before they went out so that they wouldn't get locked outside.

Blake had stepped outside of the room while Sun followed her closely. The hall that was directly outside of their room was quiet and Blake inferred that it must've been because it was already late compared to her standards and most of the people had woken up way earlier than she did.

Sun had followed her outside as soon as he could and Blake saw that he locked the door behind him for the appropriate security reasons. It only took Sun one attempt before he could successfully lock the door and the soft click sound that the door produced meant that it was finally secure and the two of them could finally head out without worrying that someone could enter their room uninvited.

"Well are you all set? Do you need anything more before we leave?" Sun asked.

"There is one thing that I need" Blake told him.

"What is it?"

Upon Sun's reply, Blake held out her hand with a warm smile on her face as she gestured over towards Sun so that he could hold it. She wanted the two of them to be as close as possible that day and the small invitation for them to hold hands was only a part of what she had in store.

Sun immediately noticed that Blake wanted him to hold her hand and he couldn't be any happier to oblige. He quickly reached over and they both softly held each other as Blake walked over to his side. Sun's heart had started to beat faster even though he only stood in one spot and it only continued to go faster as Blake leaned her head on top of his shoulders while she let out a purr which meant that she was enjoying herself.

Sun replied to the little act that Blake did by caressing the cat ears that Blake had which gently brushed across his face. He continued to do this as he could feel that Blake's breathing started to relax and it made him happy to see Blake like that.

"So, can we finally go now?" Sun asked without breaking contact with Blake.

"Yep, let's head to the park and get on with the rest of the day" Blake replied with much excitement.

The couple walked over towards the end of the hall which had the set of stairs that lead to the ground floor of the whole building. They did this without breaking the contact that they had with each other and neither one of them considered it an inconvenience. Both Blake and Sun had their heads held high as they proceeded to the park which would be the main setting for the storm of events that were about to happen for that day.

* * *

Noon had started to steadily approach that time of day and the three girls were still fast asleep without showing any signs of them wavering from it. Yang audibly snored because of the amount of exhaustion that she had because of the long road that she had to ride along in order to reach Mistral the previous day along with the Grimm that they had faced. She didn't care if she would wake up in the afternoon if it meant that she would be able to regain the energy that she had lost.

On the other hand, both Ruby and Weiss continued to share the same bed that they had and both of them silently remained asleep. Weiss was comfortably nestled within Ruby's embrace and she rested her head in the crook of Ruby's neck. They both unconsciously enjoyed the heat that they both gave each other and it did nothing but keep them both asleep which could possibly rival the length that Yang would be able to sleep.

Their morning was as peaceful and as lazy as it could be and not a single ray of sunlight could do anything to disrupt their slumber. But there were much bigger things that waited ahead of them that day and they would eventually need to wake up in order to tend to those things.

The sleep that the three of them were in was so powerful that not even the stellar knocking that came from their door couldn't manage to wake them up. The veil of sleep within their minds were too heavy and it would take a little bit more force in order for them to gain the consciousness that they needed to properly wake themselves up.

After a couple more knocks that came from the door, a grumpy sigh came directly outside of it accompanied by a key being inserted within the lock of the door. One effortless turn later and the door had been unlocked which allowed Qrow access to the room.

Time had already slipped past his mind and he almost forgot that both he and Neptune had made plans for that day and all of them had already ran behind schedule. Jaune along with Ren and Nora were much easier to wake up since he didn't have to put much effort in doing so. It only took him one knock in order for Jaune to open the door and greet him which in turn gave him the opportunity to tell them that they would be heading out as soon as possible.

And because of the swift response that Jaune and his friends gave Qrow, it made him even more annoyed because of the fact that his nieces and the ice queen had been proven inferior when it came to waking up in the morning. Qrow expected much more from them as he did get a few drinks before he slept and even he was surprised that he was able to wake up earlier than them. But he did know that they had faced a bunch of Grimm that night and that would have been the reason why they were all drained. If it were just a regular day, he might've let it pass. But he needed the three of them to wake up that instant or else they would leave the fourth member that they had been looking for waiting and even though they didn't know, Qrow knew for certain that they wanted to see Blake as soon as they could.

Qrow decided that enough was enough and he had to give it his all in order to get the day going. He tried to muster up any amount of effort that he still had within him in order to give his voice the volume that it needed. And after a few seconds, he started to go to work.

"Hey do you plan on sleeping all morning or are you actually going to wake up!" Qrow screamed.

Things were more complicated than he thought as even the bellowing scream that Qrow let out was only met with unsatisfied groans that obviously came from all three of them. Yang had actually fallen off the bed that she slept in as she laid on the edge of it and even with that, she was still knocked out cold while showing only a few signs of attentiveness.

He was even surprised that Ruby hadn't decided to wake up as he usually thought that she would be the most hyperactive and rowdy out of all of them. But he noticed that Ruby had Weiss under her embrace and Qrow immediately blamed Weiss for keeping Ruby asleep at that time. The sight of both Ruby and Weiss embracing had managed to tug on Qrow's soft spot and even he could admit that the whole image was adorable. But he didn't have time for that now as Qrow needed all of them awake.

His hand was now forced and he knew that he had to be physical in order to get his point across. Qrow picked Yang up with both of his arms and he needed to get all of the strength that he could in order to pick the large blonde up. Yang started to speak up in protest as she wanted to sleep more but Qrow just ignored her pleas and threw her back into the bed in order to shake her up.

"Come on Qrow! We're tired, can't we at least get a few more minutes of sleep?" Yang pleaded.

Qrow stayed silent in order to drown out Yang's complaints and it was time for him to proceed with the other two girls that he needed to tend to. Compared to the way that he woke up Yang, Qrow was gentler when it came to Ruby whom he gently tugged on the shoulders to at least try and warm her up.

"Hey kid wake up. You can cuddle with your girlfriend later, we have bigger things to do" Qrow told her.

The old man didn't really think about what he had told Ruby as it was the first that that came to his mind while he tried to wake her from sleep. He was happy to see that Ruby had managed to finally wake up and that she immediately had the energy that he knew her for. But what Qrow didn't expect was that Ruby had gone ballistic for some reason and she was immediately launched into a state of panic.

"WHO TOLD YOU THAT SHE WAS MY GIRLFRIEND, DOES EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT IT?!" Ruby screamed at Qrow.

The loud scream that Ruby let out was so high pitched that it managed to make Qrow's ears ring and it even jolted Yang wide awake. It had also managed to disrupt the remaining sleep that Weiss still had and it made her lecture Ruby first thing that morning.

"Ruby it's fine, everyone will eventually know about it anyway" Weiss told Ruby sleepily.

"Is it okay with you? I mean I thought that it would be embarrassing for you" Ruby replied.

"Hey don't say that. I can never be ashamed of you"

Those words had managed to make Ruby's heart melt along with Yang's. This made the two sisters fully awake especially Ruby who had started to embrace Weiss as hard as she could and plant small kisses on her face. With the look that formed on Weiss's face, one could assume that she was annoyed because of the kisses that Ruby had gave her. But secretly, her heart had started to flutter and her face had a small blush on it even though it was just faint.

But even with the true feelings that she had, Weiss needed to be stern with her demeanor and she wanted to act as decent as possible. So she channeled her inner ice queen no matter how hard it was and tried to pry Ruby off of her.

"It's too early in the morning Ruby. We have better things to do" Weiss told the energetic girl.

"Fine fine, but do you promise to sleep with me later?' Ruby asked

"Why do you have to ask that now?"

"Oh come on, please Weiss, pretty please"

Weiss had no way to resist Ruby's sweet high pitched voice and even she was forced to submit under her request. Her desire to maintain her cold demeanor had been harder to maintain under Ruby's presence and Weiss just couldn't say no to her request.

"Fine I promise to share the bed with you again tonight, okay?" Weiss told Ruby with a small smile.

"Oh Weiss you never fail to make my day" Ruby replied back.

"But before that, why did your uncle even wake us up?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, that reminds me. Uncle Qrow, do you have something important to say to us?"

Both Qrow and Yang watched intently at the small exchange that the two girls shared and the two of them were both stunned with what they had witnessed. Ruby had certainly grown up and both Yang and Qrow never expected that she would be the one to tame Weiss like that and she certainly had her ways in doing so.

"How about that Qrow? Looks like little sis can handle girls better than both you and dad" Yang commented with a small smirk.

"Hey you aren't exactly smooth with the ladies either blondie" Qrow shot back with an even wider smile than Yang.

Qrow thought that he might've been a little bit harsh because of the snide comment that he had made as he knew that what he said implied a sensitive subject that Yang still had problems with. But he knew that Yang had more tolerance for jokes like that and it would take much more for her to ever be offended by a joke like that.

"Don't you think that that's a little bit underhanded?" Yang retorted with an annoyed look.

"I don't know if you're purposefully trying to be funny or you're just plain dumb" Qrow countered once again.

Upon hearing the comment that Qrow had told her, Yang turned towards her right side and she immediately remembered that the only thing that occupied that space was the stub that she had in place of the robotic arm that she still hadn't put on yet. The small joke that Qrow threw at her wasn't really a big deal and even Yang thought that she had walked right through the trap that Qrow had set up for her. But even with that fact, she couldn't show any weakness in front of the older man but she couldn't think of any more comebacks to even out the score. The only option that Yang still had in her mind was a more physical once and she achieved this as she forcefully threw the pillow that she laid on directly at Qrow and it was forceful enough to make him stumble.

"Well you're a sore loser" Qrow told Yang.

"That's what you get for being a big jerk" Yang shot back.

"Well at least everybody's wide awake now. And to answer your question Ruby, we do have something important to do today"

"What is it?" The three girls asked.

"First things first, you guys haven't really explored the kingdom that much and after what happened last night, I think you guys deserve it"

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang looked at each other with glee in their eyes as they were going to have a break for once after all they've been through. Ruby along with Jaune and the others may have been there for a week, but they were busy taking on missions and different jobs that needed huntsmen which left them with barely any free time to spare and when they did, they spent it by recovering the strength that they had lost and just lazed around all day.

Both Yang and Weiss had also endured their own set of challenges along the way and the first few hours that they had spent in Mistral weren't really the best as they already engaged in a life or death fight even before they could actually set foot in the kingdom. The little opportunity that Qrow had given them to look around the kingdom would serve as a bonding experience for the three of them as it would be the first actual day that they would spend with each other.

"But before we do that, we have some people to meet and I think you guys are well acquainted with them. You remember Team SSSN?"

"Yeah of course we remember them. Haven't seen them since Beacon and I know that those guys are a good time" Yang remarked.

"I don't know, they're too rowdy for me at least" Weiss added.

"Oh Weiss, pretty much everyone is too rowdy for you" Ruby joked.

"That's not true!"

"Anyways, we're set to meet them in a park somewhere and there's a little surprise in store for you guys so you better get ready quick. Wouldn't want to be late for this one" Qrow told them with a small grin.

"Fine fine we're on it. Dibs on the shower!" Yang shouted out loud.

The announcement that Yang had made had only sunk for a second before anyone could react to her but she spared no time to spring into action. Both Ruby and Weiss couldn't do anything to halt her attempts at taking the shower that they all wanted but Yang was so fast that she had managed to get behind the bathroom door in a blink of an eye and the click of the lock had managed to seal the deal for Yang.

Qrow let out a small sigh as he had a lot on his hands. The responsibility that he currently had reminded him that he was still an adult and that times like this were usually abundant to a person of his age. But situations like this weren't so frequent in his life and all of the babysitting that he did certainly put a strain on his mind. In order for him to stay sane for the rest of the day, he decided to leave the three of them be so that he could get some fresh air outside and wait for all of them to be ready to set out.

"Now that you all finally have your bearings back, I'll leave you to play dress up. Meet me outside when you're all finally done" Qrow told both Ruby and Weiss.

"We'll be down there as soon as we can!" Ruby replied energetically.

Qrow was finally set free and he was now able to get a few minutes of reprieve after all of the effort that he had made to get all of them ready for the day. He reached over to the flask that he had on his pocket and took a small swig from it in order to calm his nerves. After the liquor had reached his throat, Qrow finally decided that his business there was done and he promptly went outside of the room in order to give the girls the privacy that they needed in order to get prepared.

"What do you think your uncle has in store for us?" Weiss asked.

"I don't really know. He isn't the kind of guy to do things like this so I think it's really important"

"Well at least I can relax and explore the kingdom. This is my first time in Mistral and I want to get the most out of my first time in here" Weiss commented.

"Yeah me too. And I didn't know that a lot of our friends would be here too. Even Team SSSN is here and I'm excited to see some more familiar faces" Ruby replied.

"It's nice to finally be away from Atlas. I missed you guys a lot, especially you Ruby" Weiss told Ruby with a smile.

"Awww Weiss that's so sweet! I missed you too and I'm happy that the gang is almost complete" Ruby replied.

"Almost" Weiss muttered.

The two of them had somehow remembered that even though it felt like that all of them had finally reunited, they still had one person to worry about and the only person that they had wanted to see after everything that all of them had faced. Blake's condition was an enigma to all of them as they hadn't heard any news regarding her. They didn't know where she was and both Ruby and Weiss were afraid that they would never get to see Blake ever again.

Water had started to dribble down the shower that Yang had used and the sound that it produced had managed to hammer down on their hearts as they both knew that there was still an unresolved problem between both Yang and Blake.

Weiss and Ruby both looked over towards the door that lead to the bathroom and they both idly watched it without a single task to accomplish. The only thing that it managed to do was to affirm the concern that they had for Yang as they had no idea what her state of mind was at that time.

"Do you think that Yang misses her?" Weiss asked.

"Of course she does Weiss. We all do"

"Even after that everything she's done. Especially to your sister?"

"I know that things between the two of them are rough and Yang has every right to be mad at Blake. But that doesn't change the fact that you know," Ruby suddenly stopped.

"Know what?!" Weiss asked impatiently.

"That the two of them you know, like each other" Ruby finally spat out.

"Well I guess that you're right. I hope that the two of them can make up if we ever see her again"

"Knowing Yang, she might overreact just a little bit. But I think that she loves her enough to forgive her" Ruby replied.

Both Ruby and Weiss had shared their thoughts between Yang and Blake's standing with each other. Both of them agreed that Yang and Blake had a strong enough relationship to withstand whatever the two of them had on their plate. But they couldn't be certain that Yang would let the whole thing slide as her emotions were a complete mystery to both Ruby and Weiss. The only thing that they could do was to hope that the situation would be resolved quietly and without anyone getting hurt.

Suddenly, the door of the bathroom had suddenly swung open without any warning and Yang came out immediately after which had surprised both Ruby and Weiss. The only thing that covered her whole body was a towel as it tried to dry her up while Yang tried to tend to her soaked blonde hair.

"That was the best shower I had in weeks!" Yang exclaimed.

"What is wrong with you Yang! You almost scared me to death" Weiss shouted at her. Clearly annoyed.

"Oh come on Weiss it's no big deal. Anyways, who wants to shower after me. The water's still hot you know" Yang asked.

"You can go ahead Weiss. I don't really mind going last" Ruby offered her.

"Thanks Ruby I appreciate it. But I have one problem"

"What is it?" Ruby asked.

"Well if I could remind you, I still don't have any clothes you dunce"

"Oh yeah I completely forgot about that" Ruby remarked.

"What do you suppose I wear for the day?"

The two sisters tried to rack up any ideas to solve the little problem that Weiss had. They completely forgot that all of the clothes that Weiss had were ruined because of the altercation that they had last night. Weiss planned to look for clothes that day but she neglected the fact that she didn't have any more decent clothes to wear outside. Hence, both Ruby and Yang thought that the only way that Weiss could get clothes for the time being was to lend their own clothes to her.

"Hey Weiss, I don't mind if you borrow some of my clothes for the meantime" Yang offered.

"Are you joking? You're a pretty large girl, and I don't see myself fitting in your clothes" Weiss replied.

"Suit yourself. It really isn't a surprise since I know that you'd rather prefer borrowing clothes from Ruby" Yang told her with a smile and a wink.

"How can you be so sure that I would want to borrow from Ruby? You don't know how I feel"

"Oh come on ice queen. The only girl left here is Nora and I'm sure that if you didn't want to borrow my clothes, then you certainly wouldn't want to borrow from Nora"

"Yang's kind of right Weiss. I don't mind sharing anyways but I think that what I have really isn't your style" Ruby told Weiss.

"It's not like I really have any choice Ruby. Anyway, I trust that your tastes can suit mine"

"Don't worry Weiss, I'll make sure that you'll look pretty with what I'm going to give you. Besides, you look good on everything anyways" Ruby complemented her with a small smile.

Weiss had started to become flustered because of the small compliment that Ruby had given her. She felt the heat on her body rise up and it was such an unfamiliar feeling to her that it almost felt that she was about to faint. But Weiss stood strong against the sensation of being love struck and she steadied her legs in order for her to take her turn in the shower and wash herself after Yang.

Both Ruby and Yang observed Weiss as she entered the bathroom and it was obvious to the two of them that she was dazed by the compliment that Ruby had given her. Yang laughed from behind Ruby as she thought that the two of them were still new to the whole relationship thing and she thought that it would be a great idea for her to give Ruby some advice before Weiss' turn in the shower could end.

"Hey sis, it seems like the two of you need some help with this relationship thing" Yang told Ruby.

"What do you mean Yang?" Ruby asked as she faced her sister.

"Well I think that the two of you are already great with each other. But there are some things that you might want to know since you know, it's your first time to have a connection like this with a person"

"I'm listening" Ruby replied attentively.

"First of all, make sure that the two of you are comfortable in any situation that you face. Consider how you would feel in her shoes so that you know whether the two of you are going too fast or just right"

"Second, I think you have this down already but you should remember to give little compliments like that whenever you feel like. Words can make a person's day so just keep up what you're doing"

"Finally and most importantly, always make the person that you love feel safe. No matter what happens, be there for her and never leave her side" Yang finished.

Ruby was completely astonished by her sister's advice even though it was common knowledge to people her age. It was her fist time being emotionally attached to a person like that and it was nice that she had a sister who knew those kinds of things that could help her out.

She was about to thank Yang for the pointers that she had given her as Ruby was sure that she would be able to use it in the long run. But before she could say anything back towards her sister, Ruby noticed that Yang's face had lost the earlier glow that it had and she felt that a sadness had started to loom above her sister.

This worried Ruby a little bit so she decided to console her sister so that she can finally get some answers to how she really felt. To start things off, Ruby placed a hand on her sister's shoulder as they both sat on top of the bed that was designated to Yang.

"Yang, are you okay?" Ruby asked.

"I'm fine sis. I just have some things in my mind right now"

"Don't be mad at me, but is it about Blake?"

Ruby tried to be as cautious as she could because she had no intention to elicit any negative emotions from Yang and the only thing that she truly wanted was to know what Yang's feelings were. She realized that Yang had already heard the question that she asked as her eyes immediately darted towards hers and Ruby felt that there were emotions that were inside those eyes of hers.

She could tell that Yang overall felt sad about the whole thing as she observed those lilac eyes over hers. But underneath all of that sadness, what unsettled Ruby the most that there was a fire that started to brew from inside of it and she wished that it wouldn't grow. Ruby thought that her conversation with Yang was about to end but she was surprised to see that Yang actually replied to her question and it had only managed to make the conversation deeper than it originally was.

"Yes Ruby, it's about Blake" Yang replied.

"Are you mad at her? Do you miss her? What do you really feel about her" Ruby asked with much concern.

"That's the thing Ruby. I don't know what I should feel towards her. On the surface, of course I'm mad at her after everything that she had done to me. She left without a single trace without her even being there for me when I took a large fall for her.

"And believe me, I wouldn't be even mad if she stayed. I would have taken the blow a hundred times for her if it meant that it would save her and I would never regret it a single bit. What angers me the most is that she didn't stick around for me when I was willing to be there for her"

"Is that the only thing that you really feel?" Ruby asked.

"Of course not. Even with all of the anger, all of the rage, I can never deny that I don't miss her every single second that I spend without her. The two of us could have had something special and I hate myself that I never took any steps for us to be you know, together"

"I miss everything about her do you know that Ruby? I miss her face, her presence even though it wasn't really that big, how serious she can be sometimes, how silly she can be in rare occasions, how loving she can be when we're both alone"

Yang continued to enumerate her endless list of things that she missed about Blake and Ruby thought that there would be no end to what Yang liked about the girl. She thought that she already had a grasp regarding the relationship that Yang and Blake shared but she was only starting to realize how special Blake was to Yang. It gave Ruby a sliver of hope that Yang would be able to overcome the anger that she had in her heart. And she hoped that the only thing that Blake would see within Yang's eyes were the love that she had for her.

"What if you meet her again face to face, what do you think that you'll do?"

"To be honest, I'd probably have a meltdown if I see her again" Yang tried to reply with a small chuckle to help lighten up the mood.

"Maybe I'll get angry at first. I'd probably throw bad words at her, give her all of the hate that I have. I wish that I could be strong, maybe even forgive her because I can't stand myself hating her since I miss her so much" Yang added.

Ruby had noticed that tears had started to slowly trickle down Yang's eyes and by that time, she knew that they needed to stop the conversation as she knew that things had started to take a toll on Yang's mind. As her little sister, the only thing that Ruby wanted to do for her was to comfort her while she felt down like that. Ruby hugged Yang as much as she could and she was surprised that she could easily envelop Yang with her arms. Her growth had been more evident as she did this and she was thankful that it was her time to give Yang some comfort that she needed.

"It's okay Yang. Everything will be just fine" Ruby hummed as she stroked Yang's back.

"Thanks Rubes, I really needed that"

"Don't even mention it. But now that we're done with all of the drama, do you mind actually changing into your clothes again?"

Ruby attempted to reset the atmosphere between the two of them as she tried to joke around with Yang in a livelier tone. Her efforts were successful as Yang quickly wiped away the remaining tears that she had on her face and the earlier shine that she had returned once again and Ruby immediately knew that Yang was back on her feet.

"Yep, wouldn't want to make Uncle Qrow mad at us. And by the way, I thought that you were going to pick some clothes for Weiss?" Yang reminded her.

"Oh gosh I completely forgot. I need to fix up something for her before she can leave the bathroom" Ruby replied hastily.

Both Ruby and Yang now had to take care of their own business as Yang was set on wearing a fresh set of clothes while Ruby was tasked with giving Weiss some clothes that she could wear for the day. Yang had it easier as her clothes were stacked neatly on top of her bed and the only thing that was left for her to do was to wear the outfit that she had set for herself. While Ruby on the other hand, started to quickly search through the available and fresh clothes that she had on her closet.

Yang saw that Ruby was occupied as she started to dig through her belongings which meant that she could change out of her towel in peace. She removed the towel that covered her body since nobody was there besides Ruby who was too busy trying to tend to her own problem. And if Ruby would accidentally take a peek at her body, she would be mildly okay with it since they were both siblings.

She slowly started to put on the clean underwear that she had and Yang slowly started to build her whole outfit from the ground up. Yang put on the orange tank top that she had which was then followed by a pair of pants. And in order to bring the whole look together, she wore her new and improved coat which provided ample coverage to her body and was definitely a step up from her older attire.

Yang did all of this without her robotic arm as the past few months that she had spent had adjusted to her doing simple tasks with only one arm. But she was glad to have it with her and after she had finished putting on all of the clothes that she needed, Yang picked up her treasured arm from the cabinet beside her bed and attached it swiftly into the stub that she had. It stung a little bit as it connected directly to her nerves but after a few seconds, her mind had started to adjust to the new sensation that she had as Yang stretched the piece of technology out in order to familiarize herself with it once again.

All of the preparations that Yang needed to take care of were already dealt with in a matter of minutes which gave her some free time to help Ruby out in picking clothes out for Weiss. She hadn't seen what Ruby had picked out for Weiss and Yang decided to get closer to her sister in order to get a better idea of what she wanted Weiss to wear.

"Hey sis, can I take a look at the clothes that you are going to lend Weiss" Yang requested enthusiastically.

"Well the only clean clothes that I had left are parts of the outfit that I have now. And I tried as hard as I could but the only things that I can lend her right now are these" Ruby replied.

Ruby held up the remaining clothes that she could proudly lend to Weiss and she desperately wanted to know what Yang's critique was towards the articles of clothing that she had picked out for Weiss. She held up a spare corset that she had which was a direct replica of the one that she had except it didn't have the sleeves that Ruby had. And to accompany the black and red corset, Ruby also presented Yang with a white cloak that she had which was folded up neatly.

Yang observed the two objects that Ruby presented to her and she tried to examine the two of them individually. She liked the new corset that Ruby had and it was an observable improvement from the old dress that she used to wear a lot. Yang knew that Weiss pretty much wore the same type of clothes as Ruby and she thought that the corset would be right up her alley and the only thing that Weiss might complain about was the color that it had.

But the white cloak that Ruby presented her was something that she had never seen before and Yang was quite interested on why Ruby had a spare cloak in that color. Everyone that had known Ruby would always see her wearing the signature crimson hood that she had and she was almost inseparable from it. So her having another one of it in another color definitely surprised Yang and she decided to ask Ruby on why she had it in the first place.

"I think that the corset would work on Weiss as she usually wears that kind of stuff anyway" Yang told Ruby.

"But it doesn't have sleeves like the one that I have and I think Weiss is too reserved to let that pass"

"Oh please, she has no choice anyway so it's either show some skin or all of it. And besides, you have this little cloak of yours to cover her up"

"Yep, also thought that it would put the whole look together"

"That reminds me sis, I thought that all of the cloaks that you have are red. So when did you get a white one?" Yang asked.

Ruby immediately changed her behavior as soon as she heard Yang's question. She was energetic as could be when Yang started to view the corset that she showed her but it all suddenly changed when Yang addressed the cloak that Ruby had showed her. Yang could feel that her little sister became shy because of it as she also twirled her fingers around each other which told her that there was something deeper regarding the subject which she had yet to know.

"Well, you know that I changed most of my clothes right? With everything that I changed, I thought that it would be nice to get something that could relate to mom you know"

"You mean Summer, right?"

"Yeah. I thought that it would be a nice change of pace to wear something which could make me feel that I can live up to her image. Sadly, I just can't bring myself to wear it" Ruby replied.

The words that came out from Ruby's mouth had suddenly made Yang's heart break. It was full of sentiment for Ruby's own mother, Summer, and it showed her how high Ruby regarded her. Yang decided to help boost her sister's self esteem in order to make her feel good towards actually donning the cloak that she dedicated to her own mother and she could call it as some kind of payback for the little talk that she gave her earlier.

"Hey sis, we both know full well that you've faced your fair share of challenges and as a girl your age, that's an incredible feat that nobody can overlook"

"I know that you love and respect your mom's image very much and it may feel like a challenge to follow her footsteps. But I assure you that with the short time that I have spent with her, she would be damn proud of the girl that you grew up to be"

Yang let out her little speech with as much conviction and truth that she could dredge up from within herself. She knew that Ruby had every right to uphold the image of Summer and she would make it her mission to give Ruby the confidence that she needed in order to acknowledge her own growth. And by the looks of it, Ruby's eyes had managed to shine brighter than it did compared to what it was earlier in the morning and her smile was full of genuine happiness.

"Yang thanks for that" Ruby told Yang.

"Don't sweat it sis. So, are you finally willing to try out that new cloak of yours?" Yang asked.

"Well yeah, but I want Weiss to wear it first before anything else" she responded.

With all of the anticipation that Yang had built up for her to see Ruby wearing the white cloak that she had, it managed to confuse her on why Ruby decided to let Weiss wear it first before she did. Yang knew that Ruby loved Weiss but she never thought that she would miss the opportunity to wear the special cloak for the first time in order to lend it to Weiss.

"Wait, you don't want to try it out for yourself first? I know that you love Weiss, but are you sure that's more important than you know, wearing the cloak that you dedicated for Summer for the first time?" Yang asked.

"Wow sis, I thought that you knew mom more than I did. Because if you did, you would know that she held the needs of others before herself. She would never pass out on an opportunity to help a person in need even if it didn't benefit her at all"

"Weiss needs it more than I do right now and I did promise that I would get her something that she will like. It's okay for me to miss out on that little opportunity if it means that Weiss would be more comfortable when she wears the stuff that I lent her. You taught me that after all" Ruby added.

Yang couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. Ruby had surprised her because she no longer acted like the child that she previously was. It definitely showed with the answer that she gave her that Ruby had learned to grow on her own and that both her mind and heart had focused on the more important things that she had in the present compared to the childish fantasies that she held dear when she was younger.

It made Yang proud to see that Ruby was able to give care and respect to the image of Summer while at the same time fulfil the needs that Weiss had no matter how insignificant it was compared to the memory of Ruby's mom. With the sudden flow of happiness that had started to spread throughout Yang's body, she suddenly leapt towards Ruby and gave her a large hug that was forceful enough to cut the oxygen that Ruby tried to breathe in.

"Ruby can you ever stop being so goddamn adorable! I thought that you would stumble and fall with your relationship with Weiss but you already one upped me on the first day of you guys being together" Yang cheered.

"Thanks Yang, but I'm kind of choking out here so It'd be nice if you let go of me" Ruby pleaded with her breath fading.

"Oops, sorry. Got a little bit carried away there" Yang apologized as she slowly let go of Ruby.

Both Ruby and Yang turned around as the two of them noticed that the steady fall of water from the shower had stopped and the sound that it produced no longer flooded their ears. As soon as she noticed this, Ruby quickly stacked together the folded up corset that she had along with the white cloak that she wanted to accompany the outfit that Weiss would wear. She was nervous as to what Weiss would think about the clothes that she would let her borrow, but Ruby had more confidence than she did earlier because of Yang and the two of them stood mere inches in front of the bathroom door, slowly anticipating Weiss to come out of her bath.

The light tapping of feet had replaced the sound of water and before the two sisters knew it, Weiss had unlocked the door and she came out of the bathroom with her hair still moderately wet and her body covered up with a towel in the same fashion as Yang had earlier.

Weiss let out a small gasp of surprise as she didn't expect that both Ruby and Yang would wait for her to come out of her bath so close to the bathroom door. She noticed that Yang had a large smile on her face while Ruby smiled on her own but it felt like it had some nervousness tacked onto it. Weiss was about to question the two of them on why they stood like that but Ruby spoke up before she could and she noticed that Ruby had a set of neatly folded clothes which rested on her arms and she reached out towards her as Ruby started to hand them over to her.

"Here's the clothes that I promised you Weiss, I hope you like it!"

"Thanks Ru-"

Before Weiss could give the thanks that Ruby deserved, the younger girl quickly went inside the bathroom with her clothes in tow and she quickly locked the door behind her. Any sound that could have came out of the bathroom had been immediately muffled by the shower that had been started immediately by Ruby. But even with the harsh sound that covered the bathroom, Yang and Weiss could still hear some sound that resembled Ruby's voice and the only thing that they could draw out from it was the fact that she had started to talk to herself in a rapid rate.

"What's up with her?" Weiss asked with confusion.

"Eh don't mind her. She just wants you to like the clothes that she picked out for you" Yang responded.

Weiss walked over to the bed that she and Ruby shared as she placed the clothes that Ruby gave her on top of it. She noticed that it somehow had the faint smell of roses and that feature alone made it bearable for Weiss to wear what Ruby had given her no matter how much it appealed to her own taste.

The first article of clothing that Weiss looked at was the dress that Ruby had provided her. She knew that it was the basic form of what Ruby wore but Weiss noticed that it didn't have the sleeves that Ruby had and she started to question Yang about it.

"Why doesn't this dress have any sleeves in it, I know that the ones that Ruby wears have them, so why not in this one?" Weiss asked.

"I don't really know. It does look like an earlier version of what Ruby wears know so it might've been some kind of prototype" Yang replied.

"Well beggars can't be choosers. I haven't really tried black and red on me so I'm a little bit hesitant on this one"

"Yeesh, can't you just be thankful that you actually have something to wear?" Yang remarked.

"You're right. I should be thankful that Ruby cares enough to do this for me. And besides, I already decided that I would wear whatever she gave me since I know that she would like how it looks on me" Weiss replied with a little bit of a blush that formed in her face.

"See, that's the spirit. And besides, you don't have to worry about people seeing more than they should. She even gave you a cloak to wear to put the whole look together"

Yang purposefully drew attention to the cloak that Ruby had lent Weiss as it was an object of utmost importance and she wanted to see what Weiss felt towards it. She wanted to see how Weiss would treat an object that meant so much to Ruby and Yang had somehow managed to test Weiss on someway so that she could see whether or not Weiss felt the same towards Ruby as much as her sister had for her.

Weiss set aside the dress that she inspected and she know placed all of her attention on the white cloak that was right in front of her. Throughout all of the time that they had spent together as partners, Weiss never saw Ruby without the crimson cloak that she always had on and it felt almost weird to see that she had one that wasn't in the color of red. It was a pristine white and Weiss admired how clean it was despite her knowledge of how unorganized Ruby could be.

"This cloak looks nice. Never knew Ruby had anything that wasn't colored in either red or black. Or more accurately, those two colors together" Weiss blurted out.

"Actually I didn't either. She just told me right before you went out of the shower"

"I'm actually excited to wear it. It's white so it already has point on my book. And I don't know why, but it feels like it's special in its own little way"

"For your information, it actually is" Yang replied.

"Why? Is it made out of expensive material or anything?" Weiss asked as she wanted to know more about the mysterious cloak.

"Ruby dedicated that cloak to her mother, Summer Rose. She wanted to have something that carried her image and that cloak is what came out of it"

"Wow, I'm surprised that I haven't seen her wearing it yet"

"The thing is, Ruby was afraid to wear it. She didn't think that she had the right to wear it as she felt like she hadn't lived up to Summer's image yet"

"That's not fair. I know every single part of Ruby and I guarantee you that she has every right to wear this" Weiss exclaimed with a little bit more fire to her words than usual.

"I talked to her about it, and she seemed more open to wearing it. I'm excited to see her don it for the first time" Yang told Weiss enthusiastically.

"Wait, what do you mean first time?" Weiss asked.

"Oh that reminds me, Ruby decided that it would be nice for you to be the one to try it on first. She told me that you needed it more than she did and that it would look great on you" Yang explained.

A heavy weight had started to pile up on Weiss' consciousness and it made her clutch the white cloak hard with her two hands. A flurry of emotions had started to spill out of Weiss as she tried to make sense out of everything that she had started to know about.

"Why, why did Ruby sacrifice an important opportunity just for me?" Weiss asked as she desperately awaited an answer from Yang.

"I thought you were the smartest out of the three of us Weiss. It's obvious, she loves you and this is her way of making you feel special" Yang answered.

Ruby's image had started to engrain Weiss' mind and the only thing that she could think of was the girl that stood beyond the wooden door. The only thing that Weiss wanted to do was to give Ruby a huge hug to acknowledge the huge gesture of love that she had given her. They had only been together for one day and Weiss immediately felt that Ruby had done so much for her and it annoyed her because of how little she showed the love that she had for Ruby.

"That dolt! Why would she do something so big for me even though I haven't done anything special for her? Why would she give me something so important to her even though we've only spent one day together?"

"How can she love me so much when I haven't even given her the love that she deserves?" Weiss added.

"It's okay Weiss. This isn't a contest on how much the two of you can love each other. This is a way for Ruby to tell you that she loves you and one way that you can pay her back is to wear it for her sake" Yang suggested with a smile.

The whole outlook that Weiss had towards the clothes that Ruby had given her had managed to change drastically over the course of a few moments. In the beginning, she only treated them as temporary substitutes before she can find new clothes for herself. But because of the new information that she learned, the two pieces of clothing that she clutched with her hands had become so much more to her and Weiss decided that she needed to wear the two perfectly in order to acknowledge that she was thankful towards the gesture that Ruby had given her.

"Hey Yang, can I ask for a favor?"

"Sure, what is it ice queen?" Yang asked as she knew the next words that would come out of Weiss' mouth.

"Can you help me with my outfit? I want to look perfect with the two of them on. Nothing more, nothing less" Weiss told her.

"Let's get right on it Weiss! I'll make sure that Ruby will lose her mind when she sees you looking so good in that outfit"

Yang approached Weiss quickly as the two of them were locked in a deadline. The two of them needed to put together the outfit that Weiss was about to wear and they needed to do it before Ruby could make it out of the bathroom so that the two of them would be in time to greet Ruby with a surprise.

Ruby still felt the heat of the water even after she was done washing herself. The heat had managed to calm her nerves and by that time, she was completely awake and no more traces of sleep could be seen in her eyes. She went over towards the sink of the bathroom where she placed the clothes that she had on top of the counter. Ruby felt the need for more privacy compared to both Weiss and Yang who openly exited the bathroom with only a towel on.

She felt shy towards the two of them seeing her like that so Ruby decided that it would be more comfortable for her to dress up before she exited the room in order to avoid awkward situations with both her sister and Weiss.

The brunette girl was already accustomed to wearing the outfit that she had and it proved no challenge for her to put it on quickly. In just a matter of a few short seconds, Ruby was already done changing into her dress and cloak and she was ready to exit the bathroom already.

Ruby unlocked the lock on the doorknob which allowed itself to be opened. The door gradually creaked as she slowly pushed the door. Ruby meant to do this as she didn't want to open the door on Weiss prematurely before she could finish covering herself up. That was the last thing that she wanted to happen as she respected her privacy and Ruby didn't want things to get embarrassing for the two of them.

Suddenly, Ruby was surprised to hear Yang's voice come out of nowhere called out for her to quicken up her pace.

"Come on Ruby hurry up, I've got a surprise for you!" Yang happily chanted.

Upon hearing Yang's calling, Ruby immediately flung the door open in order to respond to her call. She didn't know what her sister's surprise was but as her eyes had started to settle with the bright light of the room, Ruby felt her jaw touch the floor and her legs had started to shake because of the angel that had suddenly graced her presence.

Ruby saw that Yang had a wide smile on her face while she pointed towards the white haired girl that stood right beside her. No matter how hard she tried, Ruby couldn't come up with any words to describe the feelings that she had. She marveled at the white haired girl that stood with her sister whom Ruby thought was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen up to that point in her life.

Weiss had completely blown away all of the expectations that Ruby had and she had managed to completely shine with all of the clothes that she had given her. The red and black dress that Weiss had on completely contrasted with how Weiss looked but it managed to make it all the more pleasing towards Ruby's eyes. It felt like Weiss had managed to make the dress her own and she had managed to create a whole new look for herself that Ruby never knew she could do.

As she continued to look at Weiss, Ruby felt her eyes start to water as she caught sight of the bright white cloak that Weiss had managed to wrap herself around. Ruby knew from the start that it would compliment Weiss' look by a lot but she never knew that it would end up looking perfect on her. The cloak had managed to make everything about Weiss shine brighter and it amplified every feature that Weiss had. Her smooth and flowing hair, the fair skin that she had, even the blue eyes that Ruby could stare at for hours.

In order to break the silence in the air, Yang started to speak up in order to set the mood and the get them all moving since she felt that their Uncle Qrow was about to lose his mind if they didn't make it downstairs quickly.

"So Ruby, what do you think?" Yang asked with a smile.

"You're beautiful" Ruby told Weiss without any signs of hesitation or second thoughts.

"How about you Weiss. do you have anything to say to Ruby?"

Yang knew that the question that she asked Weiss had registered in her mind but she was confused on why she stayed silent. She was about to ask the question again but the only reply that she got was the sudden movement that Weiss made as she started to approach Ruby.

Time had suddenly started to flow again in Ruby's mind as her heart started to beat faster as the image of Weiss had started to get bigger and bigger as she realized that Weiss started to approach her. And Ruby would never expect what would happen next, as Weiss enveloped her in a massive hug which completely caught her by surprise.

Ruby's instincts immediately kicked in which made her return the hug that Weiss had given her. She was about to open her mouth in order to thank Weiss for the hug that she had given her and compliment her some more. But before she could open her mouth, Ruby noticed that the shoulder where Weiss rested her face at felt noticeably wet and she realized that Weiss had started to lightly sob.

"Thank you Ruby, for everything" Weiss muttered under the soft sobs that she had.

"What are you crying for?" Ruby asked nervously.

"Why do you do this for me? You make me feel special even though I don't want you to. You care for me even though I don't ask for it. Why do you do this all for me?"

"Simple, it's because I love you and there's nothing more to it" Ruby replied cheerfully.

Weiss didn't know why Ruby would reply in such a simple manner but those few words of her had made her understand Ruby's feelings without needing much more explaining. She immediately knew that the only thing that mattered to Ruby was their relationship together and nothing else. The only thing that Weiss felt right to do was to try her best and make sure that Ruby knew that she loved her as much as she did.

"I love you too and I promise from now on that I'll make sure that you know it every time that we're together"

Weiss told her as she wiped away the tears in her eyes and replaced it with a much larger smile.

Those were the only things that Ruby needed to hear. On top of all that, Ruby did not expect the cherry that Weiss put on top of all that she said and Ruby knew that she would make do with her promise as she immediately took a step to fulfil it.

Weiss pulled Ruby closer and closer to her until the tip of their noses had started to touch each other. At that point, Ruby thought that her heart was about to pop out of her chest as she felt Weiss' breath brush against her face and before she knew it, the white haired girl had planted a large kiss on her lips and as soon as she felt the sensation of Weiss against her lips, Ruby thought that she was about to faint.

The two of them pulled out of the kiss that they shared and both of their faces were crimson red. They both giggled because of how silly they acted but the two of them knew that they reinforced their relationship together and both Weiss and Ruby were both satisfied with what they had accomplished.

"Well you're certainly eager to show off" Ruby joked.

"I just want to make sure that you know that I love you. That's all" Weiss replied.

"Awww, that's so nice of you Weiss!" Ruby exclaimed.

Both Ruby and Weiss had only started to get adjusted to the atmosphere around them but before they could fully take in the weight of the events that had just happened, Yang's voice came out of nowhere and addressed the two of them.

"Guys, I admit that this moment between the two of you is cute as hell. But I just want to remind you that Uncle Qrow along with Jaune and the others are waiting for us" Yang told both Ruby and Weiss.

"Oh gosh, I completely forgot! We have to meet Neptune and his friends" Ruby exclaimed.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's go!" Weiss added.

Yang was the first one to make it out of the room and her footsteps could be heard as she started to walk down the stairs and meet the rest of their group outside. Weiss had already started to move and she tried to approach the door and follow Yang. But before she could leave, she felt a soft touch brush against her hand and before she knew it, Ruby had clutched her hand tenderly and that stopped her from moving any further.

"Hey, don't forget about me" Ruby told her.

In response to the hand that Ruby had given her, Weiss tightly gripped Ruby's hand in order to agree to the hand holding that she initiated. Weiss was happy that she got to do things like this with Ruby and she was eager to spend more time with her especially with how things had started to go between the two of them.

"Of course. Now come on, we're going to be late" Weiss replied.

"Ruby Rose is never late!" Ruby shouted as she dragged Weiss along with her as they both rushed down the flight of stairs in order to catch up with Yang.

Because of the rapid rate in which they moved, both Ruby and Weiss had managed to meet up with the rest of their group along with Yang and the first thing that met their gaze as they exited the house was the annoyed look that Qrow threw at the three of them while Jaune, Ren, and Nora stood beside them with amused smiles on their faces.

"Took you girls long enough" Qrow told the three of them with obvious irritation.

"Well we're all here now so let's go and meet Team SSSN! Wouldn't want to keep them hanging" Yang exclaimed.

Nora noticed that Weiss had Ruby's clothes on and she was both mildly surprised and amused because she remembered that all of the clothes that Weiss had were all ruined. In order to tend to her curiosity, Nora made this fact known and she tried to talk to Weiss and compliment her with how she looked.

"Wow Weiss, you certainly look pretty in Ruby's clothes!" Nora teased with a high pitched voice.

"Yeah, I never knew that black and red would look great on you" Jaune added.

"And that white cloak really goes well with you" Ren also told her.

"Thanks guys. But this whole look wouldn't be possible if my girlfriend didn't lend me her clothes" Weiss explained happily.

All three of their eyes had started to widen as they all realized what Weiss had just said. Girlfriend was the only word that had started to linger in their mind and it also slowly started to sink in that both Ruby and Weiss had started to hold hands.

But even Ruby was surprised with what Weiss had just told them. She never expected Weiss to be open to things like that. And Ruby also realized that Weiss had a smile on her face which told her that she was proud of what she had just revealed and that made Ruby ease up and made her comfortable towards the whole situation.

"That was certainly quick. But not really a surprise since the two of you are really close to each other" Jaune told the two of them happily.

"How can you say that Jaune. Aren't you surprised that the ice queen herself had managed to find some love in her heart?" Nora argued.

"Come on Nora, play nice" Ren told her.

"Fine Renny. You and Ruby look cute together" Nora complemented.

"That's my Weiss for you!" Ruby exclaimed happily as she hugged Weiss with both of her arms.

"Come on Ruby! It's already hot as it is without you hugging me" Weiss told her.

Old habits die hard as Weiss was once again back to her old antics as she tried to be annoyed by how Ruby acted. But Ruby could care less as she put her arm against Weiss' shoulder in which Weiss responded as she rested her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"Well now that we're all here and the two lovebirds are dealt with, are you guys finally ready to go?" Qrow asked.

"We're ready!" All of them replied.

With the whole group now ready and excited for the rest of their day, they finally decided to start moving and headed towards the first destination for their day off, the park that Neptune and Qrow planned to meet up in and would be the setting for their little reunion that would most certainly cause a chain of events that were destined to happen for a very long time now.

* * *

 **I certainly hope that each and everyone of you can reach up to this point and if you did, Congratulations!**

 **This is the longest chapter to date and I apologize that it took this long to release it. It seems like I can average 2 chapters a month but if each chapter is as long as this, I think I can be happy with that.**

 **I could have split this up into at least 2 chapters because of the sheer size of it and the way that it was structured. But in the end, I just decided to keep it into one meaty chapter just so that I wouldn't have to release it later and keep you guys waiting. You do deserve it after all.**

 **But I also want to know if you prefer big chapters like this with less frequent uploads or smaller chapters that are released more frequently. Leave your thoughts so that I can take them into account later on.**

 **Little side note: Volume 5 is currently released right now and I suggest that anyone who hasn't seen it yet watch it in either the RT website for FIRST or YT if it becomes available. Just wanted to put this here since I usually don't write during the days when episodes are released just because the hype is too real for me to handle.**

 **With all things said, I appreciate every single one of you that took their time to read this story. Reviews are much appreciated and as always, see you next time!**


	21. Chapter 21

Mistral is known for having a very dense population and no matter how hard a person tries, they could not look at a single inch that the kingdom covers that is not teeming with people. But even with that fact, there are still some places within the kingdom that are not so congested which makes it more serene and peaceful compared to the busy bustling of the city.

The park that Sun and Blake went to was one of those places and the two of them immediately noticed the change in atmosphere that the park showed them. Barely any people were present and most of them were small families or individual people that wanted to share and maintain the peace around the whole area. the whole place gave off a relaxing vibe because of the lush green grass that surrounded the pathways of the park along with the healthy trees that were scattered all around them.

"This place is kind of different isn't it?" Blake told Sun.

"Yeah. Unlike other places, this park is often pretty quiet and have lesser people than the other parts of the kingdom. Big businesses don't have any place in here since most of them are located in the commercial district. So that allows the park to be quieter since people don't really have any reason to go here than relax" Sun replied.

"Well what do you suppose we do here while the rest of your friends aren't here yet?" Blake asked.

"There are a lot of small stalls around here. Do you want to check some of them out?" Sun offered.

"Yeah why not"

With that, Sun lead the way while he continued to clutch Blake's hands and the two of them continued down one of the many stone pathways that were laid out all across the park. As they both continued to walk, Blake noticed that the park was deceptively small from the outside compared to what it really was. She saw that there were many parts to the park and they were currently within the outer ring of it. The whole area that they were in was littered with many small stalls that sold various items which included clothes, food, and many other amenities that a person would need for their stay inside the premises.

Both Sun and Blake approached the part of the outer ring that contained the most number of stalls which occupied a considerable chunk of space in that area and contained most of the people that were I the park with them. Many tables and benches were scattered along the large space which was meant to be used by people who came there to eat or to use for their own personal needs.

The stalls were divided into two parts within the large area, one side was composed of stalls that sold clothes or souvenirs from the kingdom of Mistral. While the other half which was the larger one, contained various food stalls that sold all kinds of items that could appeal to any person that spent their time in the park.

Even with the various amount of food that was sprawled across the whole place, Blake could only pick up on one scent and it was one that she was very familiar with. The certain aroma that she smelled was of her favorite food and that made her stomach growl silently even with all of the food that she had already eaten.

Blake tried her hardest to ignore the smell that called to her even though she desperately wanted to sate her appetite. She wanted to spend her time more productively in the park and eating once again was most certainly not on top of her list of priorities. Blake wanted to look at more clothes or souvenirs since she wanted to know about the culture of Mistral. And along with that, she didn't want to waste Sun's time since they would once again spend the remaining time that they have with each other on something that was so mundane compared to the other things that they could do together.

But even with all of Blake's efforts, she just couldn't resist her urges and because of it, she stupidly stopped in her tracks while she blankly stared at the stall that contained the one thing that she truly wanted to have. Sun continued to walk towards the location where the stalls were at but his advance had suddenly been halted because he continued to hold Blake's hand but the girl had suddenly stopped moving.

Sun looked behind him in order to see why Blake stopped walking. He noticed that Blake was completely frozen and that she was staring at something in the distance. He walked over towards Blake in order to snap her out of her daydreaming while he also tried to find out why Blake had abruptly stopped moving.

"Hey Blake, what's wrong?" Sun asked while he waved his hands in front of Blake's face.

His attempts at waking her up were successful as Sun saw that Blake rapidly opened and closed her eyes which meant that she realized what she had started to do. But before Blake could wake up from her trance, Sun caught sight of what Blake had drooled over and that made him realized that Blake wasn't satisfied with the earlier breakfast that they had and that made him spring into action and fulfil the large appetite that Blake had.

"It's nothing. I must have blanked out or something" Blake replied with nervous laughter accompanying it.

"Yeah right. I know what you want, so just sit over there and make yourself comfortable" Sun told her, obviously amused by the whole situation.

"What do you mean you know?" Blake asked while she became flustered with what Sun had told her.

"Stop playing dumb, it's fine okay. Now get a table for us so we can relax for a bit" Sun ordered.

Blake was just about to open her mouth in order to oppose Sun, but she couldn't do anything more since Sun already left before she could say anything and the only thing that was in front of her was air.

Blake sighed in defeat as she was forced to submit to Sun's request and she scrambled to find a table where the two of them could rest in. No effort was needed in order to find a vacant space for the two of them as the large space contained enough tables and benches to accommodate various families and that made it easy for Blake to sit on one of the tables in no time.

Blake sat down on the available bench that she found and she waited patiently for Sun to return. Things had already started to get disrupted because of her sudden urges and she hated herself for being so subservient to her instincts which made Sun act up because of her. She made it her mission to maintain the smile that Sun had on his face for the rest of the day and the small inconvenience that she caused wasn't really helping her out in any way. But even with that in mind, Blake was a little bit glad that Sun paid attention to her so much that he was even able to notice the little things about her and it made Blake appreciate him even more.

While Blake waited for Sun's inevitable return, she impatiently tapped her fingers across the wooden table set before her in order to alleviate the boredom that she had attained. The rhythmic sound of her fingers coming into contact with the hard wood had managed to bizarrely make Blake's mind clear and that brought along a stream of memories to accompany it.

Somehow, the whole place reminded her of the fairgrounds that she and the rest of team RWBY had visited when the Vytal Festival was in full swing. It was located within Beacon Academy and the whole look of the park had managed to take her back into time when things weren't so complicated and back to when she felt protected and loved by the friends that she considered as her second family.

Because of the sudden memory that had flooded her mind, Blake suddenly remembered that goal that she wanted to achieve with all of the time that she within Mistral. Her team was still torn apart and the first step that she needed to take in order to build her relationship from the ground up with them is to find each and every one of her dearest friends.

Ruby was the person that Blake thought she could find the easiest because of one simple fact that she knew about the brunette. She was the type of person that would push through her goals no matter what. And because of the tragedy that they all experienced, Blake knew that Ruby would be on the move as soon as she could and she would take the appropriate steps in order to deal with the enemy that they had before them.

Because of this, Blake knew that Ruby could probably end up in one of the major kingdoms in search for answers and if luck was on her side, maybe the small leader that she followed with utmost loyalty would end up in Mistral and Blake thought that it would be nice to reunite with the energetic girl that she knew as Ruby.

But Weiss was a different story. The last thing that she heard about the white-haired heiress was that she was immediately flown into Atlas after things died down after the Fall of Beacon. From her own experience with Weiss, all of them knew that her family wasn't really the loving type and that every second that she spent with her father and the rest of her family felt like a cage to her and it was the reason why Weiss acted so coldly in front of other people.

As Weiss' teammate, Blake knew that Weiss had the strength and ability to break free from the shackles that she was bound in and she would never give up on anything that she put her mind into. Blake was confident that if Weiss didn't want to stay in Atlas and Blake knew that she most certainly didn't, then Weiss would do everything in order to create something that wasn't short from a miracle in order to get herself out from the situation that she didn't want herself involved with.

Compared to the confidence that she had with the two of her old teammates, the thoughts that Blake had about how she could meet Yang was far from how she felt towards both Ruby and Weiss. Before Blake made one of the worst decisions of her whole life, she remembered everything that came before it and that included the damage that she had done to her dear partner and the one who took the fall for her even though Yang didn't deserve any of it.

Yang was the type of person that would never back down from any challenge because of her fearless attitude and because of who she was as a person. It could also be attributed to the fact that her semblance allowed her to get back up from any type of damage that she attained and give it back with twice the power and then some. Everybody thought that Yang shined brightly and out of all of the people that believed that idea, Blake was the one that admired it dearly and she was the one that believed in her the most without even a single doubt.

But even with all of the pain and hurt that Yang could take, every single person has their breaking point and not even Yang could prepare for the whirlwind of pain and suffering that came her way. The physical damage that was dealt to her would have already sufficed in order to break Yang apart and hinder her abilities in many ways, but what truly broke Yang as a person was the feeling of complete abandonment as Blake left her without any rhyme or reason.

What Blake feared the most was that the damage that she had dealt to Yang would be proven irreversible and that she would never be able to rise up from what had happened to her despite it being against her very nature and ideals.

A severe longing had suddenly washed up against Blake and that made her want the rest of her friends beside her at that very moment. She wanted to return back to the old times when the only thing that she needed to worry about was to grow up and try to make things happy for herself and the people around her. These thoughts made Blake want to act up and go into a wild search in order to find any trace or sign of where her comrades were.

Blake sat there for a couple of moments with only that one goal in mind. All that she could think about was the many ways and chances that she could find and reunite with her teammates and all of those ideas had started to leave her in a state of unconsciousness which very much resembled how she acted earlier.

Even with all of the current thinking that Blake had suddenly gotten herself into, one thing had suddenly come out of nowhere which stopped her from getting fully involved in her thoughts and it was a sensation that made her lips water and her stomach rumble without her even wanting to.

Her sharp instincts had once again betrayed her and Blake had once again attached herself to the pleasant aroma that she loved but unlike the first time that she felt it in the air, it was stronger and pronounced and that managed to hinder her from thinking of anymore outrageous ideas or fantasies and that made Blake realize that the thing that she had in mind was closer to her and that managed to make her look up from the table that she stared at and her eyes started to shine brightly because of what was right in front of her.

Sun had finally returned from his little expedition and he had a surprisingly warm smile to his face which made Blake glad that he was still cheerful as of that time. But what intrigued Blake even more was the food that Sun had suddenly bought back with him and that had managed to excite Blake more than it should have and it could be clearly seen by Sun because of how wide eyed Blake became and that her fluffy ears had started to bounce up and down in excitement.

Fish was most certainly Blake's favorite thing in the world and it could be attributed because of her Faunus heritage. Sun knew this very well because he had personal cravings of his own. But Sun knew that Blake was pretty much powerless against her own desires and eating fish was definitely on top of the things that she liked to do the most.

He returned back to where Blake had sat on Sun brought with him two pieces of fried fish that were skewered through the middle. One was for him and one was for Blake and he knew as soon as he saw Blake that she was very excited to dig in and eat.

"Here, I know that you're dying to eat one of these again" Sun told her as he reached over to give Blake the piece of fish.

"I'm sorry to bother you like this Sun. I wanted to do something more enjoyable for the two of us rather than sitting around and eating once again" Blake apologized.

"Hey don't sweat it. We came here to relax and do whatever we want! So if you want to eat then so be it. This day will just keep getting better so you'll need all of the energy that you can get. So dig in while it's warm" Sun replied.

"Thanks. I promise that we'll do something more enjoyable for the two of us next" Blake told Sun with a smile.

Blake was now fully prepared to eat the little treat that Sun had given her and she immediately started to go to work as the succulent piece of fish had landed on her hands. Sun accompanied her as Blake ate her food and he joined her as they both started to enjoy the second meal that they had for that day.

Even though Blake had eaten fish as often as she could, the feeling that it gave her never changed every single time and it still felt like heaven every time she would bite down on the delicate meat which caused her mouth to absorb every bit of flavor that it had. Blake had a wide smile on her face as she continued to eat and nothing could stop her from devouring the whole fried piece of meat that was right in front of her.

Suddenly, small bits of laughter had slowly crept its way inside Blake's ears and that made her abruptly stop from biting down from the piece that she enjoyed. Blake looked up from the fish that she stared at and she saw that Sun had started to chuckle to himself while he held the half eaten piece of fish that he had on his hand.

"What's so funny?" Blake asked.

"For a girl that's so reserved and formal, I can't believe that your one weakness is fish" Sun replied.

"You're one to talk. Aren't you obsessed with bananas?"

"Hey, I admit that I like them more than the average guy but I don't go crazy when I sense it in the air you know" Sun reminded her.

"Well sorry that my obsession is such a burden to you" Blake told Sun, clearly annoyed and embarrassed.

Blake's face had formed a small frown because of all the constant teasing that Sun threw at her and not because they were annoying, it was because the statements that Sun made couldn't be anything less from the truth because Blake knew herself that she took things overboard when it came to her favorite food.

Amidst Blake's feelings of annoyance, she heard soft giggles that she knew came from Sun and that was about to add on to her temper if it weren't for the sensation that she suddenly felt after her ears heard the small hints of laughter that came from Sun.

Sun's palm had made its way to the top of Blake's head and he gently patted and rubbed it in order to make amends for all of the teasing that he had done which he knew had rubbed Blake off in a wrong way. Blake continued to look like she was still mad at Sun because of all of the antics that he pulled off but Sun didn't let it faze him and he continued to pat Blake on the head as he knew that Blake would slowly acknowledge that it felt good that Sun had started to caress her head like that.

Slowly but surely, the frown that Blake had on her face had finally worn off and a calmer and happier face replaced it which Sun most certainly preferred over her more unpleasant face.

"Sorry that I got you riled up like that. Just continue eating and enjoy that little treat of yours" Sun told Blake with a smile.

"It's fine. I'm sorry that I overreacted like that" Blake replied with a small blush on her face.

The two of them realized that they had gone way too overboard with their actions and they both laughed in the midst of it. Blake couldn't believe that even though the two of them were just eating without doing anything special, they were having fun in their own way and she noticed that Sun had yet to drop the smile that he had.

"Well if it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one that I know that's obsessed with their favorite food. Ruby goes haywire whenever she sees or even senses cookies and I think she's a little bit crazier than you to be honest" Sun joked.

With that thought in mind, Blake remembered the earlier thoughts that she had which concerned the rest of her friends and teammates. Before she had gone in to her fish eating trance, Blake remembered that she had planned to take the appropriate steps in order to get information and track down the rest of team RWBY's members.

"Hey Sun, I know that this is sudden, but is there any way for us to find my friends?" Blake asked with a straight face.

Sun didn't know why Blake asked this question or what made her elicit those thoughts. But since he had knowledge of the surprise that was in store for that day, Sun decided to play along in order to lessen the questions that Blake had in her mind and to minimize any suspicion that Blake had for the little reunion that they had planned even though Sun didn't know if Blake had any inkling of what was to come.

"Well I'm sure that Neptune can make some ingenious plan that can help us track the rest of your friends " Sun replied as he tried to sound as vague as possible.

"I'm sorry to sound rude Sun, but I don't think that Neptune is the answer for all of my problems" Blake replied as she sounded completely disheartened because of the whole situation.

Sun tried to channel every ounce of willpower that he had in order to stop himself from revealing the little secret that he planned for her to learn later that day. It was hard to see Blake in such a disgruntled state and Sun knew that he had the words that Blake wanted to hear on the tip of his tongue but he knew better to tell her that secret immediately as it would ruin the whole surprise.

But in order to at least cheer up Blake a little bit without giving anything away, Sun decided to give Blake a few words of assurance which would contain a little hint on what Neptune had already done for them which Blake would most certainly appreciate.

"Hey don't sound so disappointed or down like that. There are many opportunities to find your friends and there's no way that we'll slack off in trying to find them. You never know, maybe you'll get to see them all today

"And by the way, have a little faith in Neptune. He's done quite a few rad things in the past and I doubt that you won't like the surprise that he has for us later" Sun told her.

"I'm sorry. I'm just frustrated that I haven't done anything to reconnect with them you know. I just want the opportunity to see them again" Blake replied.

"Don't worry, you will. Now finish all of that fish that you like to much and let's find something to do that we can both enjoy" Sun told Blake cheerfully.

Blake's current thirst for any trace of her teammates had been sated for the meantime because of the words of encouragement that Sun had given her. She was more confident that it would be possible for her to find the rest of her friends because of the facts that Sun had given her and the situation that Blake had on her hands didn't feel so impossible to accomplish anymore.

And along with the words that Blake received from Sun, she somehow felt that the day would hold something special for her and she didn't have any idea why her emotions were so positive at the moment. Situations like this would usually frustrate her a lot based on her personal experience with herself and Blake couldn't find a reason on why she stayed calm and somehow excited for the whole day.

Without using any words, the two of them nodded their heads in agreement which was followed by the two of them finishing of the remaining food that they had on their hands. Even though both Blake and Sun wanted to enjoy their whole day just lazing around and doing nothing productive, they had a schedule to keep and the small meal that they were engaged in was certainly not helping them in making the most out of their time.

After a few silent minutes of quietly enjoying their small treat, Blake let out a loud sigh of satisfaction as her appetite had been pacified because of the delicious fish that she just devoured and Sun was also done with his food because of the empty stick that he held which once skewered the piece of fried fish that he had.

With their small meal taken care of, both Blake and Sun were ready to proceed towards the rest of the day with their bellies full and spirits renewed. The one problem was that Sun and Neptune agreed that they would all meet at the center of the park. The center of the park was a couple of minutes away from where they were at but Sun could clearly see that Neptune or any other familiar face could not be seen anywhere near it.

The only thing that Sun was able to get a sight of was the large tree that was located directly in the middle of the park. It was encircled by four empty benches and no people were in its vicinity. Sun continued to look at the large tree and the shade that it provided to the benches that surrounded it and the whole scene looked so peaceful and serene to Sun that it managed to draw him in somehow.

Sun thought that it would be nice to spend a few more quiet moments with Blake before the explosive reunion that they were about to have and he was certainly sure that Blake would appreciate the idea. After all, Blake liked silence a little bit more than the average person and Sun thought that a little intimacy wouldn't be bad for the two of them to enjoy.

And the other reason that Sun thought that it would be a good idea to spend their time there was because that was the designated spot that they agreed to meet them and already being at that location would benefit all of them and it would be more of a convenience for both him and Blake to be right on time when the rest of their friends appear and join them.

"Hey, this is just a suggestion, but do you want to just relax and spend time by that tree over there" Sun asked Blake as he pointed over towards the large tree that stood in the distance.

"Are you sure about that? I mean we could do something more enjoyable for us if we look around" Blake replied.

"Well I don't mind resting under a shade for a few more minutes. We are supposed to meet the rest of the gang over there but if you want to do something other than that, I'm down either way"

"Some peace and quiet would be nice to enjoy before a day of more activities. I just wish that I brought a book with me" Blake told him.

"It'll be fine. You have me with you and I'd be glad to keep you company if you get bored" Sun replied.

"You do have a point" Blake told Sun with a reassured face.

The activity that they decided to do was nothing more than to relax under the cool shade under the large tree that they saw and neither Blake or Sun showed any protest with their decision. They somehow agreed to do something that opposed their earlier plans of doing something exciting and they both settled with spending the rest of their time with each other as company and to enjoy the remaining peace that they had before they move on to more thrilling activities that Sun and Neptune planned without Blake knowing any of it.

Sun and Blake started the lengthy walk that they had to take in order to reach the center of the park. They both continued to hold hands together while Blake rested her head on Sun's shoulder. This little routine of theirs had been so natural to the two of them that it felt wrong for both Sun and Blake to not maintain that position whenever they walked together. Things only felt normal whenever they were close to each other and neither one of them thought that what they were doing was too much or unnecessary.

As they got closer to the large tree that they wanted to rest under, Blake noticed that the whole park somehow felt more quiet and barren with each step that they took closer towards their destination. The number of people on the park was already scarce enough, but it seemed like the whole place became abandoned the closer they got to the center.

But Blake didn't mind the lack of people around them. In fact, it even managed to soothe Blake's nerves as every aspect of nature that was around them was amplified to a certain degree because of all the silence and Blake was able to take in each refreshing detail about her surroundings.

A few more silent minutes transpired between both Sun and Blake as they quietly enjoyed the undisturbed surroundings that encircled them. Because of their continued exposure to the peace and tranquility of the destination that they were headed, Blake and Sun were now fully conditioned to enjoy the last few minutes of solitude with each other and the cool shade that they had admired from afar was now right in front of them and they stood for a few seconds in order to take in the beauty of the place.

Blake continued to look at the large tree that made the cool shade as she tried to examine each feature of the giant object. Sun on the other hand, continued to walk towards one of the empty benches that surrounded the tree and he already positioned himself on one of them in order to catch his breath after the lengthy walk that they took in order to reach that place.

The whole tree seemed sturdy to Blake's eyes because of how massive the trunk was. It looked so ancient because of how large the roots that it stood on were and the weathering that surrounded its body made the impression that it survived the many tests that time had given it.

Sun had noticed that Blake had formed a small sense of curiosity for the tree as she continued to stare at it longer than she should have even though Sun himself had already sat on one of the benches. Sun was now accustomed to the fact that Blake would sometimes blank out on herself and it was a small duty of his to snap her out of the small daydreams that she had.

He blew a slight whistle for Blake to hear and Sun was able to catch her attention as Blake sharply directed her attention towards Sun who lightly tapped on the empty space beside him on the bench. He meant it as a signal for Blake to join him on the bench so that they could relax and wait for the inevitable arrival of the rest of their friends.

"Hey Blakey, why don't you stop staring at that tree and have a rest" Sun offered.

Blake quickly shot a smile towards Sun while she nodded her head in agreement. She slowly walked over to the bench that Sun sat on and by that time, they were the only people at the center of the park and no one would be able to bother them while they relaxed under the large roof that the tree had provided them with.

The whole place had given Blake the liberty to do something that she wouldn't usually do when other people were around and that was for her to loosen up more than she usually did and because of that, Blake felt that simply sitting down on the bench wouldn't satisfy her need to relax and calm herself down.

So Blake did the one thing that she deemed right and that was to assume the position that she deemed most comfortable on the bench and it would be achieved with Sun's help. Without Sun's knowledge, Blake laid her body directly on top of the wooden bench while she slowly crept towards Sun.

Sun had absolutely no idea what Blake had planned on her mind but the current position that she maintained had made him nervous about what she would do. It managed to make a small blush on his face because of how close Blake was to him and the small smile that she had on her face had managed to make Sun flustered because of how cute the girl in front of him looked.

In a matter of a few swift motions, Blake had managed to lie flat on her back and position her head right on top of Sun's lap. The only thing that her eyes could see because of her laying down like that was the blue sky that loomed above them along with the few remaining clouds that flew above. But the more important thing that her eyes could see was the charming face that Sun had as he looked right at her face while she continued to lay on his lap.

Along with the blush that Sun had on his face, Blake had also formed a crimson red of her own because of the intimate position that both her and Sun were in. The heat of Sun's body had radiated against her face and she could feel her heart rate rising because of it. And what made everything all the sweeter was the fact that Sun never ceased to drop the wide smile that Blake adored and she was happy that they could enjoy a few more moments of silence with each other.

"Now this is what you call relaxation" Sun said out loud.

"Can't argue with that you know. Never thought that being lazy and doing nothing would be so rewarding" Blake replied.

"Well we do need to rest for now. I don't know what's about to happen next, but the only thing that I do know is that we're going to be tired"

"That reminds me. Sun, what do you think will happen next?"

Blake asked Sun. But unlike before, she had a more serious tone on her voice and Sun was puzzled on why Blake had suddenly switched her mood so quickly.

"When it comes to Neptune, Scarlet, and Sage, I just think that they have some crazy party planned and I don't really know what else"

Sun answered, but even he was uncertain whether or not he had given Blake the answer that she wanted.

"I don't mean by what will happen today, I mean what's going to happen in the future. Like weeks maybe months from now" Blake elaborated.

"What made you think of this question anyway?" Sun asked.

"Well we've faced so many things already and I'm just wondering what more is in store for us"

"To be honest, I don't really know what will happen next. After all, I don't have powers or anything. We'll just have to wait and see"

"Hey I asked you a question, at least give me an answer or something. No matter how ridiculous it is, I just want to hear your answer" Blake asked while she tenderly gazed at Sun's eyes.

The only thing that Sun could think of was to comply with the question that Blake wanted answered. There really was no harm in him answering and he decided to play along. He spent a few seconds trying to think of an answer that he knew would happen eventually because he wanted to take Blake seriously and he wanted to respond to her request as truthfully as possible.

"Do you really want to hear what I have to say?" Sun asked.

"Of course, why would I even ask if I didn't want to" Blake replied.

"It may be cheesy and a little bit optimistic, but I have an idea on what happens in the future

"We haven't seen the rest of our friends in months but I know for a fact that we will do everything that we can in order to see their faces again. And if we keep on trying to work hard in order to find them, then I have a pretty decent idea on what will happen to all of us" Sun replied.

"I can see you and the other members of team RWBY back once again. You guys are probably the best out of all of us and it will be hard to imagine you guys not being together again. I can see Ruby, leading you guys into the fray once again while all of you continue your dreams of being huntresses

"And no leader is complete without their partner, Weiss would surely be there to support her and knock some sense into her brain if she gets too childish with her behavior. But knowing Ruby, she probably has her ways to make Weiss submit to her charm

"Then there's Yang. A strong person like her will surely rise back up and it's hard to believe that she won't be kicking more butt in the battle once she gets back up on her feet once again"

Sun told Blake as he answered with as much sincerity as he could. Everything that he said had came from his personal experience with the rest of Blake's friends and it would be hard for a person to deny the claims that Sun had made if they knew the attitude of each of the girls that Blake had yearned to see.

"You weren't kidding, that was pretty optimistic" Blake replied while she sported a small giggle.

"Hey I did warn you. But that's what I really think thought so it's your fault if you don't believe it"

"Well how do I fit in with the rest of your small fantasy" Blake asked curiously.

"I thought that I didn't have to include you because it's pretty obvious how you fit in with all of this" Sun told her.

"Could you enlighten me a little bit more?" Blake requested.

"As far as I can see, those three girls are the closest people in the world that you can consider family. They will never leave your side no matter what you do and I know that they'll take you in once they see you again" Sun responded.

"Once again, that's really optimistic. But I'm glad that you have faith that I can fix all of this" Blake told him.

"Hey, there's nothing more important that I can do for you than to have faith that you can set everything right. I wouldn't be much of a good boyfriend if I can't even trust my own girlfriend do I?"

"As always, you're right Sun" Blake replied with a smile.

Blake was somehow content with the answer that Sun had given him even though it felt too bright and optimistic compared to how she felt towards her situation with her friends. She treated it as a large gap between her relationship with them and Blake felt that she would need an act of God in order to fix all of the damage that she had done.

But what made Blake think was how Sun looked at the whole situation overall. He somehow felt that the whole thing was just a small hurdle for Blake to cross and the outcome of her problem would be positive in the end. Blake knew that the chances of Sun's outlook becoming reality was as slim as it could be, but she tried to convince herself that for once in her life, she needed to trust that everything will be okay no matter how dire it seemed.

Although Blake had already come to terms with how she felt towards her problem with the rest of her teammates, one small detail had started to gnaw at her mind and it was such a minor detail that she even questioned herself with why she even had that thought in the first place. There was one thing that Blake tried to dig for in the answer that Sun had given her but no matter how hard she tried to look for it, she failed to find any trace of it.

So in order to fill her curiosity, Blake asked Sun a question and it was one question that she hoped that Sun would answer with as much optimism as he had with the earlier statements that he had given her.

"There's one thing that you forgot to add in your answer Sun" Blake informed him.

"What more do you want to know?" Sun asked with a confused look on his face.

"Where do you fit in all of this? I mean, if me and the rest of my team are back together, will you still be there?" Blake asked with a much more concerned look on her face that time.

"Why are you so worried about me anyway? I'll be fine silly"

Sun answered but he didn't look as confident as he was earlier. In fact, Blake thought that Sun was somehow shaken with her question but she spared no expense in pushing him further.

"It's not about you anyway. I'm asking this because it's for my own sake. Will you still be there?"

Blake asked once again, sounding more desperate than the previous time that she tried to ask the same question.

"You have your friends with you anyway. They'll be the best people that you'll ever need and they will always be there to take care of you. Especially Yang"

Sun replied once again, but his voice had somehow become shaky and Blake noticed that Sun had started to become affected by the current state that their conversation had taken.

After the last answer that Sun had given her, Blake had suddenly tensed up and she clenched her chest because of the sudden flow of emotions that had started to bombard her. She didn't know how to feel because of everything that Sun had told her. Blake wanted to become mad at Sun because of what he said and the implications that come along with it.

But along with all that anger, Blake also felt heartbroken because of the things that she had heard. Sun had put a certain inevitability to their future together and it hurt Blake knowing that somewhere inside of him, Sun still had a large sense of doubt with their relationship and it pained her to see him like that.

Amidst all of the feelings that had started to swell between the two of them, what managed to put the final nail for Blake was the fact that as she stared at Sun's face, it dawned on her that he still tried to force a smile on his face despite how dark their situation had become.

The swirl of emotions that had started to build up within Blake's heart had started to bare down on her and she felt her chest tighten because of the pressure that it put on her. The sensation that she felt had started to become unbearable and the different feelings within her had started to take a toll as they begged to be let out of her system. In just a few, painstaking seconds. Blake spoke up in order to get everything that she wanted to say out there and to get one point out towards Sun and it was the one thing that she wanted to be engrained in his head for the rest of the time that they had with each other.

"Sun, you know that there are many things about you that I get annoyed about. Like how childish you act sometimes, how immature you can be, and the fact that you have the worst sense of timing out of all of the people that I know

"But you also know that I love so many more things about you. How you're always carefree, how you always care about me more than you should, how you continue to love me even though I can be difficult sometimes

"Even with those two things, there is only one thing that I absolutely hate about you. And that's all of the stuff that you continue to hide in here"

Immediately after she said this, Blake placed the palm of her hand directly towards Sun's chest. She felt Sun's heart against her hand and Blake was able to feel every beat that it made. She could tell that Sun had started to become confused because of the expression of worry in his face and the fact that his heart had started to beat faster than it usually would. But even with that in mind, Blake felt that she needed to continue with what she had to say because she knew that it would help Sun in the long run and even if she didn't acknowledge it, she also needed to do this for herself.

"Why do you still think that we won't last? Even with all of the smiles that you give and all the happy things that you try to show, there's still the same doubt in your heart. Don't you believe in me? Don't you believe in us?" Blake continued as she sounded at the brink of breaking down.

Blake paused for a little while in order to let her words sink in Sun's mind. She knew that everything that she had told him so far was hard to digest and Blake wanted to give Sun the opportunity to set his mind straight. The uncertainty within Sun's heart was Blake's most hated enemy during that time and she wanted nothing more than to erase it away from existence.

Not only would it have been bad for Sun, Blake also thought that the reluctance that Sun had towards their relationship would affect her in a way and all of the effects that it had on him could spread on to her.

"You've fought for me in the past Sun and for that I will always be thankful. But even with that, why can't you fight for us. Why won't you fight to keep things the way they are right now

"Why won't you fight along with me to continue what we have?"

Blake ended her little rant with that last sentence. The weight of her words were too much for the two of them to handle and it felt like anything that the two of them could say after what she had told Sun would be completely undermined by all of the heavy emotions that Blake let out of herself.

Even all of the words that Blake said out loud had surprised even her and she didn't even know what to do afterwards. She felt unnerved by the things that had just happened and the only thing that Blake thought could calm her back down was to experience something that she felt could keep her safe after completely opening herself up.

And that's exactly what she did as Blake turned over towards Sun's body as she tried to bury her own face within it as she wrapped Sun's waist with her arms while she continued to lay on his lap. The only thing that could give Blake a sense of security was to be completely enveloped under Sun's presence and the only way that she could currently do it was to cover herself with as much of him as possible.

The air seemed thinner around them and the whole place had become deafeningly quiet as Sun remained in silence while he stared at Blake with wide eyes who he realized had started to sob quietly with her face still buried under his chest.

Sun felt as if a veil had been lifted from his mind and he started to recall everything that Blake had spewed out because of his constant pushing. All of the dark thoughts that he still had within himself had unknowingly forced their way out of his mouth and Sun had only started to realize that even Blake was affected by all of the self inflicted pain that he had done to himself.

The repercussions of all the things that he forced on Blake and their relationship had finally surfaced and Sun couldn't be any more guilty because of what he had done. He had already forced his mind to accept the fact their time together wouldn't be for long and Sun didn't think about Blake's feelings as he tried to handle the dire situation that they had with his own hands.

But the words that Blake had told him beforehand had started to knock on Sun's consciousness and it gave him one more chance to fix himself and the whole mess that he had made. He remembered the promise that he had made for Blake before and he was glad that he was able to remember his own words during the time when he needed it the most.

Sun promised to himself that he would be strong for Blake no matter what. He needed to be the strength that Blake needed in order to move forward and Sun was able to keep that promise for the longest time. But as time went on, their relationship together had started to take a toll on his fortitude because Sun tried to take on every inevitable problem head on and accept the facts without thinking of any solutions to keep things the way that they are.

But things were different this time, Sun was at his weakest point and Blake was about to join him because of his reckless actions. But as every second passed with Blake silently sobbing in his lap, Sun became more and more determined to fix what he had broken and that made him think harder about the things that Blake had told him earlier.

Blake was right, Sun had defied large odds in the past in order to fight for her and keep her safe and sound. And that made Sun question why he couldn't fight for the two of them now when they both wanted to keep things the same and neither the two of them were alone to face what they had right in front of them.

Then suddenly, Sun was hit by something that he couldn't explain but he was thankful that it happened anyway. It was as if a switch that had wanted to turn itself on within his mind had finally been used and everything seemed clear to him now. A small smile had crept its way in Sun's face and it was meant to be a sign. A sign that there was still hope for the two of them. A sign that he had finally changed and he was ready to fulfil his promise one more time in order to protect what he and Blake had tried to make last.

"You're absolutely right Blake. I still have doubt in my heart and I'm sorry that I put you in this position. I guess I decided to take everything on by myself and that backfired hard for me. I should have known better, after all that's what I tried to save you from

"And yeah, I did fight for you in the past and struggled so much in order to set you free and give you the choice to live your life. And I also ask myself why I don't fight for what we have together even though it was you who chose to live like this

"I know that you're tired because of me and how weak I am for not fighting for what we have. And I'm sorry that I had to put you through this just because of how stupid I am"

The darkness that Sun's chest had provided to Blake's eyes was the only thing that prevented Blake from completely breaking down in a rain of tears. Her heart couldn't take anymore of the self deprecation that Sun had started to do once again and each word that Sun used in order to punish himself just served as another knife that plunged deeper into Blake's heart.

Blake knew that she couldn't take much more of this. All of the pain that had started to manifest between the two of them had proven to be too much for her to bare and Blake knew that she needed to put a stop to this before the two of them get completely broken once again. But because of the current state that Sun was in, things seemed hopeless and Blake struggled to find the words within her in order to put a stop to what was currently happening.

Things started to look bleak and the only thing that Blake relied on was the comforting darkness that had clouded her eyes. It was the only thing that kept her from seeing the reality of her situation and Blake was about to completely surrender and retreat within the confines of the pitch darkness that Sun's body had provided her.

But all of Blake's expectations were blown out of the water as her heart suddenly jumped from where it was and a blinding light had suddenly replaced the darkness that she had started to get used to. Blake was suddenly cradled by Sun and he used his right hand in order to remove Blake's face away from his chest. Her eyes had started to adjust to the sudden brightness that had invaded her vision as things looked cloudy at first.

It didn't take long for Blake's eyes to return back to normal and the first thing that greeted her eyes as soon as she got her vision back was Sun's face. Tears still dripped down her face because of her somber crying and that made some of Sun's features a little bit harder to distinguish than usual. Sun was quick to notice this and he gently wiped away the tears that stained Blake's face. Something had changed within Sun and Blake was quick to notice it. There was something different about Sun and she noticed this because he was much more calm and loving with his actions like he always was.

With all of Blake's tears wiped away and her vision finally functional, a pleasant surprise had greeted her out of the blue and it was one surprise that she would never expect to come out because of how things turned out.

Sun had a smile within his face and it was the one thing that returned the hope that Blake had within herself. The previous smile that Sun had put on was fake and she could easily tell that it wasn't real because of how close she was to Sun and Blake basically knew how Sun acted like the back of her hand. But the kind expression that the boy had on right now was genuine and without any trace of the earlier doubts that Sun had. Sun was fully committed to showing the small expression because he knew how much it would help Blake and he needed it now more than ever in order to get his point across and give him the strength to do what was probably the most stupid decision of his life.

"And you know what Blake, I'm tired of it too. I'm tired of me being afraid of what happens in the future. I'm tired of being scared of losing what we have. And I'm tired of not making the most of what we have together

"I'm done with everything that I have done so far and I finally want to fight to keep things the way that they are right now. We need to be strong for each other and that means that you can't be the only one to give it your all to keep us together"

"So, do you promise to not say things like that ever again?" Blake asked while she paused in order to sob for a little bit more.

"I promise, hurting myself also hurts you and that's the last thing that I want to do" Sun responded while he kept a smile on his mouth.

"Do you promise not to compare yourself to Yang all the time?" Blake asked once again, but her sobs were now few and far in between as she got a little bit better because of how Sun had started to act.

Usually, the question that Blake had presented Sun would shake him up to the very core because of the complicated nature of their relationship. But nothing could stop Sun's resolve because of what he was about to do and he decided that he would not let anything hinder him from keeping what they had together and that meant that Sun needed to have more confidence in himself and this would be his first act in trying to conquer his fears.

"Yes, I've been battering myself about her for the longest time now and I won't let my thoughts about her stop me from continuing what we have now. I need to live in the moment and worry about it when it comes, you told me that after all" Sun replied.

Things had completely turned for the best with their small talk and this outcome was the complete opposite of what the two of them had in their mind. Hope had completely drained themselves out of Sun and Blake's psyche and there was barely any hope for the two of them to salvage the situation. But just like before, the two of them had once again faced off against the huge odds that were stacked against them and they had proven themselves victorious even with the huge hurdle that they had to cross.

"Do you promise to still love me?" Blake asked as she had completely recovered from her damaged state earlier and the smile that Sun had on his face had proved to be contagious much to Blake's knowledge and even she had a smile on her face that she had put on without her even knowing.

"Do you even have to ask that?" Sun happily retorted.

Sun hugged Blake closer and she showed no protest as Blake added on in their efforts to minimize the distance that their faces had to each other. Blake wrapped her hands around Sun's neck while he continued to cradle Blake with his left arm and pulled her face closer to him with his free arm. Their faces were already in contact with each other as the tip of their noses had brushed against each other and it was a sensation that the two of them had direly missed. They both needed this moment with each other and the bond that they had felt stronger than ever because of the fact that they addressed the weaknesses that had plagued the two of them before.

All of their emotions had started to swell up once again but things had drastically changed this time. The only thing that the two love birds felt was the intimacy that they had to show each other and the immense strength that they felt with the two of them finally facing the problems that they had together.

Sun and Blake felt that the only way to do justice with the moment that they currently had on their hands was to wrap their lips around each other and show the love that they had for each other in a physical manner that could satisfy them both. And they did just that and the two of them felt that it was the most rewarding experience that they had for a very long time. The two of them found comfort within the kiss that they had shared because it felt that they had achieved something that they both desperately longed for. And it was the power to move forward and live with what they had instead of fearing what they could lose.

The kiss that they both shared together had started to last more than it should have because of how natural it felt for the two of them to show intimacy like that. Sun made a point to keep Blake as close to him as possible as he continued to hug her passionately without showing any signs of letting go anytime soon. While Blake also did her duties and she did everything that she could to stick to Sun like glue. The two of them were inseparable at that point and almost nothing could stop them from the fierce exchange that they shared with their lips.

The world didn't even matter to the two of them because of the immense silence that surrounded their location. It felt like time had stopped for the two of them and they were both free to do whatever they wanted and that's exactly what they did by continuing on with the kiss that they shared.

Moments like this would stay with both Blake and Sun for a very long time and they longed for nothing more than to make more memories such as this one. The kiss that they reveled in had finally reached fruition and they were both satisfied with the comfort that they had provided each other. They pulled out of each other's embrace with ragged breaths because of how much energy that they had unknowingly exerted. But even with the small trace of exhaustion that could be detected from their breathing, neither Blake or Sun let go of each other and the stupid smiles that they had on their faces.

"We've finally reached that point huh?" Blake told Sun, while she continued to breath rapidly with a smile.

"Yeah, we've finally reached the bridge that we talked about that night" Sun replied.

"I'm happy that we did it anyway. At least we got rid of the stain that's right over here" Blake told him as she pointed over to Sun's heart.

"It's all thanks to you and your stupid questions Blakey. And by the way, you owe me a question of my own. You've asked so many so at least give me something for it" Sun suggested while a large blush had appeared on his face.

"Fine, I'll humor you this one time because I'm in a good mood" Blake replied with a smug look on her face.

"I've got to warn you though, this will get a little bit intense or maybe a little bit awkward" Sun continued.

"Oh, it's one of these kinds of questions, isn't it?" Blake replied.

"Hey, if you don't want to I won't ask you the question. It's just something that I want to do if you're okay with it too"

"Why not, I owe you one anyway so just ask"

"Before I ask, I've got to tell you that there are a lot of maybe's with this question. Maybe it's stupid, maybe it's too fast, maybe I'm just insane, or maybe just maybe, it's the right thing to do"

"What is it about anyway?" Blake asked Sun once again.

The tension had somehow reappeared once again but it wasn't a negative feeling that had started to make itself known again to the two of them. It was more of a feeling of electricity that surged through their bodies even though Blake had no idea what Sun's question would entail. She just felt a weird sense of anticipation even without her having any vague idea of what Sun wanted to talk about.

But Sun's side was much worse than what Blake had started to experience. Everybody that knows Sun knew that he was one of the calmest people that they had ever met and that he was very good at handling stressful situations as he usually never showed any sign of breaking. He felt that every inch of his body was on edge and that his heart was about to burst out of his chest. Even Sun's stomach didn't want to cooperate as butterflies started to go rampant within him and he almost felt like throwing up because of it.

The pressure that was currently resting on top of Sun's shoulders had started to make him nauseous but he tried to keep every single ailment that he had within him in order to not embarrass himself and push on with the final task that he had set for himself that day. Sun promised that no matter what, he would power through all of the anxiety that he felt in order to move forward and do something that would either bite him back for days to come or something that would change his life forever.

Blake noticed that beads of sweat had started to trickle down Sun's face and with her Faunus instincts, she was able to detect a huge spike in Sun's heartbeat and that made her worried about him even with the smile that Sun had put on for her.

"Hey, are you hiding something from me again?" Blake asked with a much grumpier look than earlier.

"Not exactly since I am about to ask you something. I'm just nervous that's all" Sun finally admitted with his jittery actions.

"What kind of question is it anyway?" Blake tried to ask once again. Something about the whole thing had started to make her nervous but nervous in a kind of way that entailed anticipation or excitement. And in a matter of a few seconds, the effect of Blake's nervousness had started to bloom and even her heart beat had started to accelerate.

Courage was the one thing that Sun needed right now and he tried to find any source of it within himself in order to give him strength to go on. All of his memories with Blake was the only fuel that drove him forward but even with how powerful those memories were, it still proved difficult for him to pass through the fears that he had.

Suddenly, Sun felt like his heart had suddenly popped and he could bleed out any second because of how startled he became. Without her saying anything, Blake knew that Sun had a hard time dealing with what he wanted to ask and the only that she knew could calm Sun down was to be close to him as physically possible. She wrapped her arms around his neck once again as she inched closer to his face. Blake made it a point to look directly into his eyes and bring out the best smile that she on her arsenal. It was the only way that she could show support to Sun and Blake knew very well that her rate of success would be high.

Everything had changed for Sun as soon as Blake did this small act. Every distraction that had plagued his mind because of their surroundings had been pacified as the only thing that Sun could focus on was Blake's beautiful face and the cutest smile that Sun had ever seen in his life. Somehow, Sun felt hypnotized by Blake's eyes and looks and it managed to slow down his heart beat and remove the butterflies that he had harbored within his stomach.

"Come on just tell me. I won't bite" Blake begged once more with a mixture of both mischief and love blended together.

Sun's total infatuation for Blake had proved powerful enough for him to totally disregard every single side effect that his body had experienced because of his nervousness. The only thing that he needed was the smile that Blake had and he knew from that point on that he wanted to cherish that sight for the rest of his life. And it was the last thing that he needed for him to decide that enough was enough and it was time for him to do the stupidest decision that he would ever make.

"Blake, I need to ask you something important and you only need to answer with a yes or a no" Sun clarified with even more hints of nervousness than before.

In response, Blake just nodded her head because even she was dumbfounded by the whole situation. Her heart had started to go into overdrive for some reason and she didn't know why. The only thing that she could think was the cause of it was the anticipation that she had built up for the question since Sun looked rattled because of it.

"Just get on with it. Neptune and the others are going to catch us red handed if you don't move fast" Blake reminded him hastily.

"Fine, here it goes. Blake Belladonna, you're the first girl that I loved and will ever love for the rest of my life. So Blake-"

Sun trailed off before he could finish the question in order to get a hold of the final item that would complete his whole statement. The familiar feeling of the small object that sat on his pocket ever since he received it had once again graced his fingers as he reached over to his pocket in order to pull it out. Sun's heart started to beat under ungodly speeds and his hands started to shake because of the pressure that he felt.

But the small object had somehow given him power and the huge crimson hue that clouded Blake's face had managed to push Sun forward and that pulled him out of the pit that he had fallen into and made him hammer in the final words that he needed and complete the promise that he made Blake and her mother who was dying to see this moment to come into fruition.

"Will you-"


	22. Chapter 22

The whole group had travelled across many miles and had gone through thick and thin in order to reach Mistral. Hardship was definitely something that all of them had experienced and it was nice for them to have some familiar faces alongside each other in order to brave the foreign territory that they were in.

Qrow and the rest of the kids that he was apparently babysitting were walking along the commercial district of Mistral. It was the fastest path that they had which would lead them to their destination and he also thought that it would give the whole group some sights to see in order to keep them distracted or immersed in their surroundings.

Large crowds had already gathered along the street of the district. It was a typical weekday and it was already noon so the whole street was already filled with people who tended to their own businesses and were all busy trying to make a living for themselves. It annoyed Qrow that they had to walk among these large crowds while the sun was high up in the sky.

But for the rest of the people in their group, none of them cared a single bit as they were too enthralled with the things around them that they were more interested with the new sights around them rather than minding the small inconveniences that Qrow hated which was the large crowds and the scorching heat of the sun.

Jaune, along with both Ren and Nora, had stayed with each other in the middle of the group right in between Qrow who lead the way and the three girls of team RWBY. It was already noon and lunch was pretty much the only thing that the three of them had in their minds especially Nora. She didn't have the chance to eat breakfast because of how late they woke up and both Ren and Jaune could sense the turmoil that Nora felt because of her skipping out on her favorite meal of the day.

Mistral, when it came to food was much more different than Vale. They saw a lot of noodle shops mixed in with some other types of restaurants and that gave them a small look at Mistral's culture. Their cuisine mainly focused on more flavourful meals that were light on the stomach compared to Vale which mainly served large and fulfilling meals because of how industrialized the city was and how much the citizens demanded that type of food.

Nora's mouth had started to water because of all of the different aroma's that surrounded her and it almost felt like she could taste the food around her right on the tip of her tongue. The hyperactive girl just couldn't resist anymore and she thought that a small stop over wouldn't be such a bad idea since none of them had eaten anyway.

"Ren! Can't we at least stop for a little bit? I'm hungry and there's so much food around us" Nora complained.

"Nora, we have a schedule to follow. We can just eat later when we meet up with the rest of team SSSN" Ren replied.

"Come on Ren, you wouldn't want to see your queen hungry right?" Nora begged while she used her puppy eyes in order to persuade Ren.

Even with Ren's calm demeanour and stern attitude, he couldn't help but show little signs of weakness because of how Nora tried to persuade him and that could be seen through the small blush on his face. But it was not an excuse for him to back down from Nora and he needed to make his point clear so that they wouldn't be an inconvenience for the rest of their group.

"We can't Nora. I promise that we'll eat later but just not right now okay?" Ren replied.

Nora had a disheartened look on her face while at the same time being grumpy at Ren for being so uptight. She really couldn't do anything to faze him and not even acting all cute and adorable could catch Ren off guard. She decided that there would be no use fighting and she was about to submit to Ren's will until an unexpected voice came from nowhere and restored the hope that she had.

"You know Ren, it really isn't a bad idea. I mean, we'll be quick and none of us have eaten a single bite since last night" Jaune told them from out of nowhere.

"Hey, I'm starving too you know!" Yang shouted from the back of their small group.

All of them had suddenly stopped in their tracks because of the small crossroads that they had reached. A small discussion had started to arise between all of them and it concerned whether or not they would eat a quick breakfast or not.

Qrow had noticed that their whole group had suddenly stopped and started to discuss something among themselves. He didn't have any idea what they were all taking about so he just quietly listened to their squabbles to get some context and hopefully resolve the issue.

"Come on guys, aren't we being a little bit rude if we keep Neptune and his friends waiting for us?" Ren told them all.

"Don't be so uptight Ren. We're all here to relax and have fun. And would you look at that, even the Ice Queen looks like she's onboard with operation breakfast" Yang replied.

They all looked over to Weiss who was right beside Yang and Ruby as she clutched her belly and a low sounding grumble came out of it. It mildly surprised all of them as Weiss was not the kind of person to show her weaknesses up front. And because of this, it meant that she was really hungry and was somehow more accepting to the plan that Nora suggested even though she would usually be against it.

"Well, all of us haven't eaten yet and I guess a little bite won't hurt" Weiss muttered while all of them had surprised looks on their faces.

"Come on Ren it's going to be fine. I can't just let my little snowflake get hungry" Ruby chimed while she put her arm over Weiss' shoulder which she gladly accepted.

"Even if you all beg, Qrow won't allow it anyway" Ren reasoned.

Qrow was the closest thing that all of them had as a guardian and they were powerless against his word even though he didn't look like the authority figure that all of them had hoped that he would be. But even with his deceptive looks, he was the oldest out of all of them so his commands would be absolute and the fact that he was the one who scheduled the trip anyway just added on to the advantage that he had when it came to the decisions that their group would take.

All of their attention was now focused on Qrow who was now unwillingly pitted within their small argument. He could care less whether or they would be on time or if their bellies would be filled. The only thing that swayed him towards one option was the fact that he himself was hungry. The only thing that filled his stomach was miniscule amounts of alcohol and Qrow wanted something more to satisfy his needs.

Qrow thought that Neptune and the rest of his squad wouldn't mind them being late for a few minutes. After all, their reunion in the park would happen no matter what time they arrive and one advantage that they would have after satisfying their appetites is that their minds would be clear and concise without them being affected by the foggy haze that hunger can sometimes bring to a person.

"Sorry lotus boy but I have to agree with them on this one. Neptune and the guys won't mind and we'll meet up with them no matter what time we arrive. So just make it quick so we can get on our way. And besides, I'm starving too you know"

A collective cheer rang across the whole group as Nora's wish was fulfilled and all of them were granted the leisure to grab a small meal before they attended to the event that Qrow had scheduled for them. The only thing that Ren could do was to shake his head in disappointment but not for his friends, but for himself as he was too stubborn to realize the needs that his friends had and he should have been less uptight and enjoyed himself for once in order to stop embarrassing himself like that again.

Yang lead the way as the rest of their group made their way to a small spot that held many benches and tables for them to sit in and provided ample shade from the heat as it was covered by a large tent while being surrounded by various food stalls and small shops that sold different types of items such as clothes, accessories, and many more.

Nora quickly made her way towards Ren's side and wrapped his left arm with her whole body. She knew that Ren would feel a little bad because of the small argument that they had and this was her way of showing him that everything was fine and dandy as usual.

"Come on Renny don't look so sad. I promise that we'll be quick so just enjoy the food and we'll be back on the road in a jiffy" Nora told Ren while they continued to walk together.

"I know, I know. You don't have to cheer me up. I should have just let you eat like what a good guy would do for her queen" Ren replied with a small smile placed his face on top of Nora's head.

"How sweet of you Ren. Now let's head over there and stuff our faces with all of the goods!" Nora yelled energetically.

A single bench wasn't enough for them to all fit in so they were forced to combine two benches and two tables so that all of them would have enough space to sit together. Various food stalls had surrounded them within the space of the tent and each and every one of them had their own cravings so they agreed to meet up on the space that they had made after each person had ordered for themselves.

Ruby, Weiss, Ren, and Jaune only wanted noodles because they didn't want to overpower their stomachs with a heavy meal. They all thought that noodles and some soup would warm up their stomachs and be flavourful enough for them to enjoy the meal in and of itself. All four of them had ordered in one noodle shop and their order was immediately taken after a few minutes of them lining up.

But breakfast was not a meal that both Nora and Yang took for granted and they already aimed for the heavy stuff as soon as they were given the opportunity to choose a meal for themselves. There was a stall that served complete rice meals and the two ferocious girls thought that it would be heavy enough for the two of them to be satisfied and fill their stomachs to the very brim.

All of their orders were now finally taken and they all met up back on the place that they had all agreed upon and each and every one of them took their spots within the two benches that sat right across from each other which was separated by the two tables that they had set up.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora sat together on one bench while Nora inched slightly closer to Ren because of her preference. Across them sat Ruby, Weiss, and Yang and they all started a conversation with each other while they waited for the food that they had ordered to arrive at the table that they were in.

"What do you think your uncle planned for us Rubes?" Nora asked.

"I'm not really sure. It's unusual for him to be vague like this so I have no idea on what he has under his sleeve" Ruby replied.

"Well it has to be more important than what we think it is. If it was just meeting up with team SSSN, then he would just tell us where they were at and order us to go there. I mean, he wouldn't waste his time on something as small as meeting with some friends" Jaune added on to their conversation.

"Want to bet on what it's all about?" Yang suggested with a playful smirk on her face.

"If I would have to make a guess, then there must be another party involved with the said meetup" Weiss suggested.

"What makes you say that?" Ruby asked.

"If your uncle is here to supervise us, then it means that we'll also meet someone who might cause some complications that needs him to be there" Weiss responded.

"Oh please Weiss. Qrow might have some issues but he's not that cruel to lead us to something that will get us into trouble" Yang retorted.

"Hey you asked and I delivered. If you didn't like what I have to say, then why did you ask in the first place!?"

Weiss replied as she tried to assert her superiority over Yang while also looking annoyed and grumpy at the same time. The rest of their group was used to Weiss acting like this which was why she was crowned with the title of Ice Queen. But Yang decided to pull her chain a little bit more in order to have fun with her white haired teammate.

"Yeesh. Ruby, can I ask for a small favor?" Yang asked Ruby with mischief glaring in her eyes.

"What is it?" Ruby asked innocently.

"Can you kiss Weiss for me? I mean like in the lips. She looks grumpy and nobody likes Weiss when she's grumpy. She's crazy for you so maybe her mood will change if you try to calm her down"

Visible steam could be seen coming out of Weiss' ears as her face turned completely red and her body had suddenly felt hotter than usual because of what Yang had proposed. It was an incredibly preposterous idea and she knew Yang well enough to know that she just tried to embarrass her.

Weiss was confident that Ruby wouldn't comply with Yang's request since it wasn't in her character to do mushy things like that in public and she knew that it would be embarrassing for the two of them to kiss right in front of their friends and Ruby wouldn't take that chance just to please her sister's sinister attempts at punishing Weiss for her rudeness.

But what Ruby said had caught her off guard and it made things much more interesting for all of them. It also proved successful in making Weiss' heart beat faster and her body tensing up because of the sudden turn of events that unfolded right before her because of the response that Ruby gave to Yang's little request.

"Fine. But just one kiss though" Ruby replied with a smile and an upbeat tone.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora had excited and surprised looks on their faces because they never expected that Ruby would easily join in with one of Yang's little schemes. Even they were shocked with how Ruby responded but they had no right to have a say to the whole thing so they just quietly watched especially Nora who slightly jittered in anticipation of how Ruby would handle the situation that she was in.

Ruby proceeded to slide towards Weiss a little bit more while she sported a more confident look on her face. Weiss tried her best to keep her distance away from Ruby with the knowledge of what she had planned to do but she found herself on the edge of the bench that they sat on and her body had suddenly frozen because of how close Ruby was to her and the fact that Ruby's hand was right on top of hers.

"Ruby you dolt! Are you really going to follow your sister's stupid orders!" Weiss blurted out furiously through jumbled words because of how flustered she had been.

"It's okay Weiss. I'm not doing this for Yang anyway. I just want to show my Ice Queen how much I love her" Ruby replied as she continued to inch closer to Weiss who was now completely glued to her seat.

The image of Ruby had become larger and larger as she continued to approach Weiss' face without any sign of stopping. She got close enough to Weiss to the point that Ruby was able to put an arm on her shoulder and Weiss could feel Ruby's calm breaths blowing across her face. The only thing that Weiss could see was the beautiful and mesmerising face that only Ruby could have and upon closer inspection, Weiss realized something that scared her a little bit and that was the expression that Ruby had on her face.

There were not many similarities that both Ruby and Yang had despite the two of them being sisters and one couldn't tell from first glance whether they were sisters or not. But at that very moment, Weiss had recognized the look that Ruby had on her face and it was something that made her spine tingle but her heart beat faster than ever as she realized the face that Ruby had made. Ruby looked a lot like Yang when she sported that expression on her face and it was one of pure passion and ferocity.

The probability of Ruby actually kissing Weiss was somehow low beforehand but because of the new information that came to light, Weiss was actually convinced that Ruby would have the guts to follow through with Yang's orders and that made her even more nervous than before.

Ruby's nose had now brushed against hers' and Weiss was on complete panic mode because of her anticipation for Ruby's kiss. She couldn't believe what she had gotten herself into and what made the whole thing even more unbelievable was the fact that Ruby showed absolutely no hesitation on following through with Yang's little request.

Weiss braced herself as she closed her eyes and prepared her lips for the inevitable contact that it would make with Ruby. She had come to terms with what she had done and Weiss just decided to suck it up and accept the punishment that she received. But to make herself feel better, Weiss decided to think of the kiss that Ruby was about to give her as a kind gesture and that somehow made it more bearable or even pleasant for Weiss as soon as she changed her mind set.

But after a few seconds of nothing but silence and tense anticipation for Ruby's kiss, Weiss' ears started to ring because of the high-pitched sound that erupted right in front of her and she immediately realized that it was Ruby's voice that had suddenly invaded the whole place.

"I got you Weiss!" Ruby screamed while she pointed her finger right at Weiss who had now realized the true goal of Ruby's actions.

"Way to go sis, we got her with that one!"

Yang exclaimed as the two sisters exchanged hi-fives as their little prank on Weiss had succeeded with flying colors as they made her react in the most embarrassing way which was enough payback for Yang after the earlier rudeness that Weiss exhibited

"Boooo, I wanted some romance and all of that was a prank!" Nora complained from across the table while Ren tried his best in order to suppress Nora's energy before she could leap over the table and go after Yang and Ruby after they mislead them to think that Ruby was actually going to go in for a kiss with Weiss.

Humiliation was a long forgotten feeling that Weiss never knew she would experience ever again. She took careful steps throughout her whole life to maintain her public image and to never do anything stupid to ruin her image in front of other people. And after many years of never experiencing this feeling once, her streak was broken in a quick flash by the red cloaked brunette and the only thing that Weiss had on her mind at that time was revenge. She wanted to make Ruby feel the same thing that she did and the only way for her to do that was to embarrass her as much as Ruby did to her.

Weiss clenched her fist in order to contain the rage within her and to somehow find some strength to convince herself to pull through with what she had in mind. Ruby had somehow managed to weaken Weiss' defenses by using their relationship against her and using it in order to confuse her feelings. Weiss intended to do the same with Ruby but that meant that she had to take extra measures in order to outplay Ruby and to make sure that she learns her lesson so that she wouldn't do this thing again in the future.

Ruby still kept on laughing while Yang joined her as the two fully absorbed the feeling of embarrassment that Weiss had felt because of their collaboration on a small prank. Pulling these kinds of practical jokes on Weiss usually took a team effort and after a few months of being rusty, the two sisters were still flawless in pulling it off. But because of the fact that Ruby took her sweet time and let her guard down, it gave Weiss the perfect opportunity to gain retribution for Ruby's acts and she immediately acted on the weakness that Ruby showed and she went on with one goal in mind and that was to make Ruby as flustered as she could be.

Without any foresight at all, Ruby was powerless to defend herself from the attack that Weiss launched towards her and it surprised the brunette when she suddenly felt being pinned down by some unknown force that came from her side. Her back hit the base of the bench with a loud thud and the sudden shock made Ruby close her eyes and to avoid blinding herself from the sudden light that came from above. Her body started to adjust to the feeling that pinned her down and Ruby noticed something odd about the weight. It had heat to it and she could feel hands pinning down her arms which meant that it was a person who had put her in that situation but she didn't know who it was.

Ruby wanted to know who pinned her down and she was about to scold that person because they scared her because of the sudden surprise of their action and because of the fact that her back know hurt because of it slamming onto the bench. Ruby opened her eyes and mouth in order to start her verbal onslaught on the person who tackled her. But all of her plans never came into fruition as her eyes and mouth widened in both shock and fear because of the sight that she saw.

She immediately recognized the person that tackled her and Ruby couldn't believe her own eyes. The one and only Ice Queen had mounted her directly. Ruby knew that Weiss must have tackled her to serve as her reaction for the practical joke that both Yang and her pulled off. But that wasn't the main reason why a little sense of fear sat at the bottom of Ruby's stomach. It was how Weiss was close to her face and what her expression was when they were both face to face with each other.

Weiss' whole face screamed confidence and dominance as she had a piercing look in her eyes and a wild smirk on her face. It looked like Weiss was aware to everything that she did and it scared Ruby because of the unknown capabilities that Weiss now possessed because of their sudden switch in roles. But Weiss was only getting started as she intended to push Ruby to the very limit because of what she had done to her. But she decided to take it easy first and give Ruby a taste of what's to come.

She leaned closer to Ruby so that Weiss could intentionally let Ruby feel her breath against the tip of her nose. Ruby let out an adorable squeal because of the sensation of Weiss' breath against her nose and the small gusts of air managed to tickle Ruby slightly. The small sound that Ruby made was music to Weiss' ears and it made the young brunette even cuter in her eyes. But she couldn't show weakness now as she wasn't even over to begin with. So Weiss decided to step it up a notch and push things even further.

The only thing that Ruby had come in contact with so far was the faint feeling of Weiss' breath against her nose. But this time, it wasn't the only thing that Ruby was about to feel as Weiss leaned in ever so close to her and it managed to add on to Ruby's panic as her heart beat even faster. The trap that Weiss had laid out for her was perfectly set and there was no way that Ruby could ever get out of it. The feeling of helplessness and the knowledge that Weiss was the one who made her feel that way had made Ruby regretful of her actions and she wished that she should've just left her mouth shut instead of going through with Yang's stupid plan. But regret wasn't about to save her as Weiss still pressed on despite her struggling.

Weiss edged her face closer to Ruby which made small strands of her hair fall on Ruby's face and both of their noses cross together. Weiss never failed to maintain the competent look on her face despite Ruby's innocent look that she shot back at her. The look on Ruby's face started to gnaw at her little by little but she wouldn't let it faze her for this one time just to get her point across. Weiss decided to speak up in order set the stage for her practical joke while Ruby sat there under her mercy.

"So, how does it feel being teased this way for once?" Weiss asked Ruby with much sass.

"Not good" Ruby replied back under panicked breaths

"What do you promise from now on?"

"I promise that Ruby Rose will never tease Weiss in that way ever again!" Ruby quickly spat out

"I'm going to need more than that after what you did to me earlier" Weiss told Ruby with an unconvinced look on her face.

"Then what do you want me to say?" Ruby asked with no idea what to do under that situation.

"I want you to say that I love Weiss Schnee and she's the best girlfriend that I could ever have. And you have to give me a proper kiss everyday while we're together"

Weiss blurted out in a quick pace which made her loose the earlier look that she had. She finally showed some weakness after the shock that was her confident look. At that point, Ruby finally knew what Weiss wanted and she was more than welcome to give her what she wanted and it even gave her a little bit of joy to know that this was what Weiss truly wanted.

"Isn't that a little bit shallow? For you at least" Ruby tried to remind her.

"I don't care. Just say it or we'll be stuck here for the rest of the day"

"Fine. Weiss Schnee, I love you and you're the best girlfriend that I could ever have!" Ruby told Weiss happily and genuinely.

"Okay, you're free to go. But don't forget to stay true to that promise okay?"

"Yep, I promise Ice Queen!" Ruby chanted.

Weiss' plan had actually succeeded and she got nothing but good things from it. She fulfilled her original plan of humiliating Ruby on her own way while at the same time hearing genuine words of love coming out from Ruby herself as a bonus for what she pulled off. The rivalry between the two of them was decided at that moment and Weiss intended to release Ruby at that time. But as an extra measure, Weiss decided to add some sprinkles on top as she planted a small kiss on the tip of Ruby's nose. It managed to make Ruby blush because of the kind act that Weiss did and she couldn't be more happier to give Ruby a kiss like that.

"By the way, Boop!" Weiss told Ruby as she planted that kiss which warmed Ruby's heart because of it.

Things had finally been resolved and Weiss remover her hands from pinning down Ruby's arms and she was finally free to move around once again. She got up from her position on the bench while Weiss held her arm to help Ruby up.

Suddenly, applause came out of the four other people who was present in the table with them and both Ruby and Weiss realized that they were completely monitored by Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Yang throughout their moment together and that made them coil up in embarrassment.

"Way to go Weiss! I didn't know that you were the dominant one. And by the way, that's my line okay!?" Nora commented as she recognized Weiss' use of her own catchphrase.

"Good thing we picked a spot in the corner. People are around us you two, go get a room" Yang joked because of the awkwardness pf what both Ruby and Weiss did.

"All of that drama made me really hungry. Do you guys have any idea when the food will arrive?" Jaune asked out of nowhere.

"Well we aren't exactly ordering fast food you know. Maybe it will be done in a few minutes so just wait" Ren replied.

As usual, everything was back to normal once again and the earlier mood of tension and drama had finally evaporated from the table and the whole gang was once again joking around with each other and enjoying the free time that they had received.

After a few minutes of waiting around, an unexpected member of their group had finally graced them with his presence and it was Ruby's own uncle Qrow. All of them thought that he went to a nearby place to pass some time or even get drunk again that early into the morning because of how they all perceived him. So him being there was something that shocked all of them but he was a welcome addition to their little table and they all started to chat with him as soon as he touched the surface of the bench.

"Oh hey uncle Qrow. I didn't expect that you'll actually be here with us" Ruby told her uncle.

"Well I don't necessarily think that hanging out with kids is cool but this time I'll take a pass. I may not look like it but a veteran hunter like me gets hungry too from time to time" Qrow replied.

"Wow, I thought that the only thing that could fill your appetite was some good old booze" Jaune commented from the side.

"You aren't exactly wrong kid. But being drunk has some drawbacks and a nice readymade meal is something that I look for in rare occasions" Qrow replied.

"Will you look at that, he's human after all"

Jaune teased Qrow while the whole table responded with laughter. Qrow was a bit amused by the whole thing just because of how carefree their whole group had been and it was a refreshing experience to have more familiar faces rather than a sea of strangers that he didn't know anything about.

"Ha Ha very funny. Don't get too comfortable, we have precious time on our hands so eat as fast as you can so we can head on over to Neptune and the others for the thing we have planned" Qrow told all of them.

"That reminds me. Uncle Qrow, what do you have planned for us and why are you being so vague about it?" Yang asked.

"Hey, a surprise wouldn't be a surprise if I spilled the beans right off the bat. Just wait and be patient. You guys have the rest of the day off so don't be in a rush to find out what it is" Qrow responded without giving away anything.

"You're such a tease. What's so special about it anyway?" Yang continued to push.

Qrow was getting a little bit annoyed of Yang's persistence to shake some information out of him but there was no way that he would ever reveal the reunion that Yang was about to be in within a few more minutes. He didn't know what the effects would be if he broke the news to Yang right off the bat but he knew well enough to know that things wouldn't be pretty between Blake and her. So it would be better for them if Yang would know that Blake was finally with them with her own eyes rather than his word.

But due to the playful nature of their uncle, Qrow couldn't resist the urge to lure Yang into a trap and give her a taste of her own medicine just to serve as payback for her constant questioning and for Qrow to get a taste of youthful fun that he hadn't had for a very long time.

"Fine fine if you want to know so badly I'll tell you. But only you since I don't want to ruin this for the rest of them unlike you who doesn't want to have any fun" Qrow blurted out in order to draw Yang closer.

"Fine by me. See you suckers! Looks like I'm going to get a sneak peek of what uncle Qrow has planned for today"

Yang exclaimed cheerfully while the rest of them groaned in disappointment because of the unfair advantage that the blonde seemed to have. But while Yang gloated on her victory as she stared right at her friends, they all noticed that Qrow had a menacing glare that can be seen in his crimson eyes and a mischievous grin that crept all along his face. He shot the rest of the kids a playful wink and as soon as he did, they all realized what Qrow had under his sleeve but they decided to keep the illusion of disappointment in order to protect Qrow's cover.

Qrow gestured for Yang to lean closer to her while the unassuming blonde came closer and closer to her uncle with satisfaction in her eyes and the excitement to finally know what was behind the curtain that Qrow refused to unveil no matter what. Yang placed her left ear right in front of Qrow in order for him to carefully whisper that he had right in her ear. Qrow leaned closer and Yang could feel his faint breath brush against her earlobe and she silently waited for the words that she yearned for to come out of her uncle's mouth.

Well, words did come out of Qrow's mouth but it wasn't in the way that Yang expected or liked in any way and the words that had suddenly started to reverberate in her head had shook her to the core as her ears started to ring because of the immense volume that Qrow added into his voice as he directly shouted at Yang's ear in point blank range.

Everybody in the table besides Yang had started to burst into laughter including Qrow who looked like he just had the time of his life. They were cackling alongside one another while Yang furiously tried to get rid of the noise that violated her eardrums by cupping her two hands against her damaged ear while she groaned in pain because of the painful joke that Qrow had used against her.

"You really got her with that one uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouted in between the fits of laughter that escaped her mouth.

"Will you look at that, a dusty old crow such as me still has some tricks that I can use to fool the youngsters" Qrow replied while they all continued to laugh with Yang's expense.

"Ha ha very funny. Watch your back uncle Qrow because I'm not going to let this one slide" Yang replied with a menacing glare directed right at her uncle.

"Throw everything that you have at me kid. I may not look like it, but I'm not a slouch when it comes to taking practical jokes way too far"

Qrow told her directly without any sense of fear or trepidation. A fire had started to surround the two of them as both Yang and Qrow decided that the only way that they could solve their little feud was for a winner to come out on top.

Due to how ridiculous the stakes were for the little showdown that Yang and Qrow had, all of their on looking friends had the time of their lives as the little squabble between Qrow and his young niece had started to pick up the pace and they were excited to see how far the two of them were willing to go just to become the one who stands on the top.

But a strong smell had started to flood their noses and it managed to silence their whole group because of how much it entangled them and all of their eyes had started to look in one direction. The food that each and every one of them had ordered had finally arrived and they were all freshly cooked which meant that they were steaming hot and full of amazing aromas to accompany their taste.

The first thing that was set on the table was the piping hot bowl of noodles that Ruby, Jaune, Ren, and Weiss ordered. Mist came out of the bowl in a steady rate because of how hot the bowl was and the four of them were excited to heat up their bellies and enjoy something light for the breakfast that was long due for them all.

In order to contrast the light meal that the four of them ordered, the two rowdy girls went for something more fulfilling and their mouths both watered as the rice meals that they both ordered were finally set right in front of them. A small box filled with rice was topped with a generous amount of pork while it was doused with sauces and everything was fresh off the pan so Nora and Yang couldn't wait to finally dig in and finally satisfy the hunger that had plagued their stomachs.

Each of them knew what they all ordered and no one questioned anyone's decision since they were all hungry. They all started to eat greedily especially Yang and Nora who had started to scarf down the heavy meals that they had on their hands while Ruby and the others had barely made a dent on the hot bowl of noodles that they ordered.

Amidst all their eating and small talk shared with each other, Qrow silently sat on the table while he waited for his own order. He did mention that he was also hungry so he decided to order some food for himself before he made his way towards the table that they had now sat on.

After a few more minutes of idly sitting in the corner of the table and a little bit of jealousy because of him not being able to eat along with the rest of them, Qrow's calling had finally been answered as a waiter arrived at the table with his order and his eyes had started to gleam because his own hunger could be finally quelled after a morning of consuming nothing but booze.

Ruby was the first one to realize that her uncle had finally received the food that he ordered and what she saw had mildly shocked her because it was something that she never really thought her uncle would do. She was so surprised that she phased out from the conversation that she and Weiss were having as she stared in awe and disbelief at what her eyes had seen.

Weiss noticed that Ruby had suddenly frozen in place with her hands still gripping the chopsticks that held some noodles that she planned to put on her mouth. A look of bewilderment could be seen in Ruby's face and it made Weiss curious to what made Ruby look so curious and befuddled.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Weiss asked softly.

"Weiss, uncle Qrow is really creeping me out" Ruby whispered while she still maintained her gaze at her uncle.

"Why, is he drinking again? Aren't you supposed to be used to that" Weiss responded.

"It's not that, take a look" Ruby muttered as she rapidly pointer her finger towards Qrow's direction.

In order to follow Ruby's order and to sate her own curiosity, Weiss looked over to Qrow to see what was so peculiar about him that it managed to freak Ruby out while grabbing Weiss' attention at the same time.

As soon as Weiss turned around and looked directly at Ruby's uncle, she immediately felt a sense of shock and surprise at what Qrow had started to eat and the feelings that Ruby felt had somehow became reasonable to her because of what the circumstances were which pretty much only concerned the food that Qrow decided to eat.

A little while ago, Ruby was the only one frozen in place because of the bizarre occurrence that she witnessed right across the table from her. But now, Weiss had joined her and they both shared a state of stasis as the two of them didn't even lift a muscle but instead continued to survey Qrow as he ate while their friends were too busy with their own food.

Eliminating two people out of their conversation had managed to make the table much quieter and that made the rest of them pay attention to what was currently happening. Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Yang all realized that both Ruby and Weiss had suddenly ignored the flow of time and they noticed that they paid no attention to anything else around them.

This made Yang and the rest of them interested on what had caused this to happen so Yang asked the two of them what was going on and why the two of them were acting so ridiculously.

"Ummm guys, what's going on?" Yang asked.

"Look over there sis, Uncle Qrow is acting weird" Ruby whispered while she slowly pointed her finger right across the table.

Ruby's gesture had managed to guide them all the way towards the other side of the table and train their eyes directly towards Qrow who had a small grin on his face while he continued to eat the meal that he ordered. Yang along with the rest of them who still weren't paralyzed thought that at first glance, Qrow was only enjoying his food quietly and there was absolutely nothing wrong in what he was doing.

But a few seconds later, the state of paralysis that first started with Ruby had managed to spread to all of them which left them speechless and their eyes wide because of the food that Qrow consumed quickly and somehow happily.

All of them knew that Qrow really wasn't a healthy type of guy because of his constant drinking without any sense of stopping or the idea of having too much. They all knew him as the type of person who would die early because of various complications due to his unhealthy drinking habits and with that thought, they all assumed that his eating habits would be as bad as his alcoholism.

But Qrow had proven all of them wrong because of the food that was on his plate and it managed to shed some light on the mystery of how Qrow could stay healthy and free from sickness even with all of the inhuman amounts of alcohol that would enter his system in a daily basis.

A plethora of various vegetables had spread themselves around Qrow's plate while the main course that Qrow paid the most attention to was a set of spring rolls that had various amounts of vegetables within them such as diced carrots and various amounts of greens. The only thing that he paired the whole dish with was a sweet dipping sauce and what managed to add more fuel to the fire was the fact that Qrow didn't even take a single sip out of his flask while he ate. He had a fresh bottle of water right beside him and he seemed to pay no attention to anything besides the meal in front of him.

The whole table had now entered a dead zone as they were astounded by the seemingly impossible feat that Qrow had managed to accomplish. The fact that a guy such as Qrow could actually eat something green and healthy like a pile of vegetables seemed commendable to all of them but it still felt weird just because of how Qrow seemed to enjoy all of it.

The voices that had kept Qrow's mind busy and awake a while ago had all stopped completely and that managed to bug him a little bit because of how quiet the whole place seemed to be. The joyful commotion that had kept him company throughout his silent meal had ceased to exist so he glanced over to the rest of the table to see if something wrong had happened and find out what had caused the sudden blackout among them.

In a flash, Qrow immediately regretted his decision as his heart jumped out of his chest when he realized that all of their eyes were directly aimed at him and he felt that every single person in the table was out to get him for some reason that he did not know about.

"Did I do something?" Qrow asked cautiously as he was unaware of what had suddenly transpired among the rest of their small group and what happened that caused all of the wary eyes that pierced right through his soul.

"Uncle Qrow, are you sick or something? If you are, we can buy you medicine you know" Yang said to respond to her uncle's inquiries.

"I'm perfectly fine Yang. What's all this ruckus about?" Qrow asked now irritated because he thought that it might have been another elaborate prank set up by Yang to get back at him for the prank that he pulled on her earlier.

The assumption that Qrow drew up was immediately extinguished by Nora who couldn't take the daunting silence anymore and decided to speak up so that all of them could finally know the reason on why Qrow possessed an ungodly ability to eat that many vegetables even though he seemed like the person who hadn't even tasted a single nutritious thing in their life.

"WHAT IS THAT!?" Nora screamed while she pointed over to the spring roll that Qrow still held with his right hand.

The silence that plagued their whole group had banished in a flash as Nora finally decided to do what she did best, and that was to break something into smithereens. In this case, she completely obliterated the paralysis that overtook everybody and now all of them were jittering in anticipation on what Qrow had to say regarding his peculiar choice of food.

Qrow could clearly see Nora's finger from across the table and he quickly realized that she was pointing right at the spring roll that he was about to dig in to. He didn't know why they all seemed shocked so Qrow decided to push the topic further in order to get validation on why they were so stunned and rattled at the point that they could cause such a big ruckus.

"You mean this thing?" Qrow replied while he held up the spring roll that in his hand.

As if on command, all of their heads nodded rapidly in order to confirm what Qrow had just showed them. A massive sigh of discomfort came from Qrow because of how annoyed he was on what he had finally learned. All of the trouble that they caused due to him eating something so bizarre to all of them was not justifiable by any means. He would understand their sudden outburst if it was some weird local delicacy but that wasn't the case at all.

"Is it weird for a man to eat vegetables?" Qrow asked all of them.

"Well you know, you're you, Uncle Qrow. We just thought that, you know, you would be a little bit more… unhealthy" Ruby replied with a shy tone.

The answer that Ruby gave Qrow was in a certain level of absurdity that it made him chuckle a little bit because of it. He didn't know that his eating habits seemed so weird to all of them and Qrow decided that it would be the best for all of them if he finally put things to rest. And because of the fact that his brain suddenly remembered that they had a deadline in their hands at that they all needed to move quickly to make it on time to the scheduled event that they still had to go to.

"You aren't exactly wrong. All of my drinking is unhealthy and I don't recommend that you do the same. Unless you want to ruin your lives and become the same as me" Qrow started off.

Pretty much all of them disliked the idea of ending up like Qrow who was washed up at an old age while doing odd jobs from time to time and spending the rest of their waking moment drinking themselves to sleep. The whole thing made everyone in the table besides Qrow shudder but that didn't matter as he decided to continue on with his explanation.

"So to balance all of that, I trained myself to eat various vegetables to at least clean my system in a small way. And I don't do it as often as you think so don't get too ahead of yourselves"

Relief had washed over them like a massive tidal wave as the breaths that they all held in to listen to Qrow's explanation had all vanished and they all shared soft snickers to acknowledge the ridiculousness of how they all reacted.

The table that they all shared could have been called a massive vortex of emotions. Not a single mood was set for their environment and everything could change in just a flash without a single warning. It started of being filled with emotion and drama because of the small squabble and reconciliation that Ruby and Weiss had because of Yang. Then it suddenly shifted into a table of mayhem as Yang and Qrow threw around their own little antics in order to cheer everybody up and get on top of each other's nerves. And the most recent being a state of disbelief and denial because of Qrow's little rule for eating which surprised pretty much all of them.

But all of the fun and games that they enjoyed couldn't last for long as Qrow remembered that they needed to finish up and finally proceed to the plans that they had for the rest of the day. The commotion that they caused because of their reaction to his vegetable eating had made a considerable dent on the time that they had on their hands and that left him with no choice but to quicken the pace of their whole group to keep up with the time.

"Thanks to your overreactions to my vegetable eating, we only have five minutes to finish everything up and get back on the road again. Finish up and buy anything that else that you need so that we can be on our way"

Time really does fly when you're having fun and that couldn't be any more true for their whole group as none of them even realized that so much time had been eaten up by the series of events that they all unknowingly triggered. This made them all eat double time and even the delicate and reserved Ice Queen quickened up her pace so that she could finish the considerably filled bowl of noodles that she had which forced her to slurp down the noodles in it with barely any manners which caused her a little bit of embarrassment. But that didn't matter to the rest of them as they devoured their food whole and filled their stomachs to the brim which pretty much fulfilled the objective of their small break.

The only thing that was left on the table after they all finished their meals were small remnants and pieces of the food that they ate and even that was pushing it since their plates were so clean. Hunger was an understatement when it came to describing their appetites for that morning as the word could not justify the devastation that they bought to the food that they all ate.

Everybody made their final preparations before they set out once again to finally continue their journey to the park that Qrow had mentioned. Jaune and Ruby went to buy bottles of water for all of them so that it could help them fight off the constant heat that would bombard them as soon as they exited the small tent. Nora on the other hand, decided that breakfast still wasn't enough to satisfy her bottomless stomach and she deemed it necessary to pick up a snack for the road while Ren was forced to be dragged along with her, powerless to stop her or do anything to prevent her from eating more than she should have.

While everybody else was busy buying some much needed supplies to be used for the remaining duration of their walk, Weiss and Yang spotted a small clothing shop a few meters away from the place where they all ate. Considering her circumstances, Weiss pretty much rushed towards the small stall that contained a few racks of clothing and one small space that barely served as a changing room. She knew that it would be hopeless to find something that would suit her tastes from the small stall but Yang tried to convince her that she would be able to find something that would at least be serviceable in her eyes.

Because of the time that they were bound by, Weiss riffled through every single rack that lined the small stall in quick succession. Yang just stood on the sidelines without uttering a single word as she knew that Weiss' tastes would never appeal to hers and they would just end up fighting with each other if she tried to lend her a hand in finding clothes that Weiss would want to wear.

Surprisingly, Weiss turned up with a hefty amount of clothes despite her picky nature and Yang was amazed to see that Weiss actually had the ability to find clothes that she liked in a stall like this. But judging by the selection that the stall had, Weiss was clearly forced to make exceptions and take some clothes that would she would never even wear if she were given the opportunity.

The only reason that Yang accompanied Weiss in this little venture of hers was to personally oversee Weiss' changing process. She wanted nothing more than to see the look on Weiss' as she tried on outfits that were barely satisfactory to her and the anguish that she would feel would manage to fuel Yang's mischievous side and give a few more bits of entertainment for her before they ventured off again. But in addition to that, Yang also turned into big sis mode and she wanted to give Weiss some tips for her clothing that could spice things up between Ruby and her.

Both Ruby and Weiss were probably clueless about the more "intimate" details of a relationship so as Ruby's big sister, it was Yang's job to properly guide them in their first relationship and she couldn't deny that it gave her a little bit of joy and fun in playing as the teacher for the two naive girls.

Yang saw that Weiss had finally finished picking up everything that she needed and the only thing that was left for Weiss to do was to see if everything fit her perfectly and she would have to do it quickly in order to cope up with the time and to not keep everybody waiting. Yang saw this as her chance to see how each piece of clothing fitted Weiss and she asked whether or not she could accompany her within the small changing room behind the stall.

"Hey Ice queen. Do you mind if I join you in the changing room? A second opinion wouldn't be so bad you know" Yang told Weiss.

"Are you some kind of pervert?" Weiss replied back.

"Heck no. I just wanted to know if you needed my opinion on some of the clothes that you bought. I do know that you have fancier tastes so a little bit of advice from a humbler person would probably help you out a lot"

"I appreciate the offer Yang, but we really don't have enough time to play dress up. I already decided that these are the only clothes that I deem passable and the only thing that's left for me to do is check and see if they fit or not" Weiss reasoned out with her usual annoyed tone.

"Yeeesh, you're such a bummer do you know that?" Yang told Weiss with an even more annoyed look.

"I know that all too well Yang. I'll be back in a minute so just sit tight and wait for me"

Yang waved her hand in agreement as Weiss proceeded to bring the pile of clothes that she planned to buy inside of the changing room. It was clear that Weiss was in a rush to try out everything within a span of a minute as Yang could see a few clothes flying across the small room from the roofless ceiling that it had.

She could faintly hear the small groans of discomfort that Weiss let out because of the fast pace that she changed her clothes in and it managed to make Yang laugh a little bit because of all the effort that Weiss had to exert in order to accomplish the task that she had. And true to her word, Weiss was able to sample every piece of clothing that she bought along with her inside the room and the evidence that she had to support it was the small beads of sweat that trickled down her face.

"Took you long enough" Yang uttered.

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one forced to pick out barely passable clothes in under a minute" Weiss argued.

"You do have a point. So, are you ready to go? They're waiting for us you know"

"Yeah I'm all done"

The small visit that they made to the shop had finally fulfilled its purpose and both Yang and Weiss left to join the rest of their friends. Weiss lead the way as they both made it out of the small stall but this was due to the fact that Yang slowed down her pace so she could purposefully follow Weiss from behind.

Because of the fact that Yang missed the opportunity to look at the clothes that Weiss had purchased, her curiosity started to form an itch at the back of her head and no amount of self-control could contain her innate nature to poke fun at Weiss and to get a little insight on what new additions she had to her wardrobe.

Yang had the element of surprise on her side combined with her fast movements. The deadly duo made it possible for her to snatch the small paper bag that Weiss held with her left hand and that gave her almost no time to respond and by the time that she realized that Yang took the bag that she had in tow, it was already too late as Yang started to dig through its contents while Weiss sat there turning bright red in anger because of what Yang had done.

"Yang quit it! We don't have any time to play any games" Weiss shouted at her angrily.

"Chill ice queen. I won't steal these from you I'm just trying to check out what you got" Yang told her without a single bit of care for what Weiss felt.

"I'm serious Yang! give it back now!" Weiss shouted once again but Yang noticed that her tone was more desperate compared to angry and that felt a little bit off considering that Weiss would usually be composed in these situations. A little bit angry and annoyed, but mostly composed.

But even with all of the daunting screams that Weiss let out, Yang paid no attention to her whining because she was basically used to it so Yang continued to search for anything particularly interesting within Weiss' belongings but as to not waste time, she started to walk towards their small group while Weiss followed her who still stubbornly tried to rip out the bag from Yang's iron grip.

The pieces of clothing that Weiss picked out for herself were pretty normal for a girl her age. But this was Weiss they were talking about so seeing her being forced to wear average clothes like these pale in comparison to the fancy dresses that she always wore and this amused Yang a little bit because of the idea of Weiss dressing up like a normal person.

Yang saw different types of casual clothing such as skirts, lengthy shorts, and even a tank top that Yang never expected. But in Weiss' case, beggars can't be choosers but the one detail that never failed to escape Weiss' tastes was the fact that almost every single piece of clothing in the bag was still in the color white. But Yang decided to give Weiss a pass for that as she was already in a tight spot so at least one of her preferences were fulfilled in her little shopping expedition.

The whole bag had almost been inspected except for a few key items that Yang could only get glimpses of as Weiss still continued to pester her by trying to loosen Yang's grip from the paper bag. But what Weiss failed to realize is that no matter how hard she tried, she didn't have enough strength to overpower Yang's metallic arm and the only thing that she managed to achieve was to hinder their progress in making their way back to their group.

But the constant effort that Weiss tried to put in to get the bag back had started to annoy Yang a little bit. She was almost done rifling through it anyway so Yang decided to inform Weiss that she was about to give it back to at least calm down the angry heiress.

"Chill out Weiss. I'm practically done anyway, just wait a second and I'll give it ba-"

Yang abruptly paused in the middle of her sentence and after a few seconds, she also stopped right in her tracks. Upon noticing that Yang had suddenly froze on the spot, Weiss' heart gradually increased its heartbeat as her worst fear was about to be exposed. Weiss immediately acted on Yang's sudden paralysis and she started to talk to her in order to snap her out of her coma and to possibly salvage the remaining pride that she had left if her hunch was right and that Yang had found the small little item that she deliberately hid under the deepest part of the paper bag.

"Yang, can you please let go of the bag now? I'm begging you" Weiss told Yang amidst her frozen state. Now more desperate than ever and all of the anger in her tone of voice had finally died down and subsided.

Yang didn't respond with a single word and this made Weiss enter a full state of panic. This confirmed that her worst fears had been realized and that made her back off in defeat and give Yang some space so that she could finally respond to her pleas and get the whole thing over with.

The paralysis that latched on to Yang had been broken by the movement of her arm as she dug through the deepest part of the bag in order to get the two articles of clothing that caught her by surprise and one that she never expected Weiss would pick out. All her life, Yang never thought that Weiss would have the guts to purchase something so, tempting.

All of the self control that Yang tried to exhibit had been thrown out the window as she immediately pulled out the piece of clothing that Weiss tried to hide and Yang had one large smile of victory plastered all across her face while Weiss knelt in defeat as all hope was lost and she was about to lose her dignity because of the misfortune of having Yang as a shopping partner.

What Yang held out with her hand were two pieces of clothing. It was an incredibly short top along with shorts that barely even had enough material to cover her thighs. It also didn't help that the top that the top Yang discovered were short enough to expose Weiss' whole midriff and the two managed to come in the color white and were made out of smooth silk which meant that they were supposed to be worn in bed and this gave Yang the small inkling of what Weiss had in mind.

"Weiss, Weiss, Weiss. I never expected that someone as pure as you could buy something like this!" Yang exclaimed joyfully as she finally had Weiss in the palm of her hand.

"It's not a big deal! I just wanted to wear something comfortable when I go to sleep" Weiss tried to reason out with the best of her abilities.

"Go to sleep huh. You mean go to sleep with Ruby right, Haha!" Yang shouted once again as she found another hole in Weiss' statement that just managed to dig her grave a little bit deeper for herself.

"That's not the case at all! I don't even know if Ruby thinks that it's cute or not and I just wanted to find out" Weiss explained.

Because of all the panic that Weiss had within her system, she did something unusual and she started to jumble with the words that she tried to use. And because of it, she inadvertently revealed her true intentions on buying the two pieces of revealing clothing and she had absolutely no out in this situation and Yang just stared at her with the most amused face that she could ever have.

"I've got to give some props to you Weiss, I never thought that you would actually willingly wear something like this. Well you know what they say, we do stupid things when we're in love" Yang joked as she finally returned the article of clothing back into the bag and finally returned it back to Weiss.

"Yang, not a single word of what happened here or I swear to God that I'll-"

Weiss was immediately shut down by Yang as she simply waved her hand to stop all of the words to come out of her mouth. Even though Yang had the knowledge of what Weiss had on her mind, she had no intention to sell her out because of it. One, because they were both friends and she would get nothing substantial if she blurted out her secret. And two, she knew that things would get interesting between Weiss and Ruby and Yang deemed it a much better investment rather than having a short lived sense of fun.

"Don't worry Ice Queen. I won't sell you out on this one as long as you promise me one thing" Yang explained, although she had a mischievous grin on her face which scared Weiss a little bit.

"What is it?" Weiss asked nervously.

Yang stepped closer to Weiss until their eyes both stared at each other face to face. No matter how hard she tried, Weiss couldn't help but feel nervous because of the grin that Yang had and upon seeing it, she knew what Yang had in her mind and the only thing that she did was to cope with what Yang already had in her mind so she braced herself one last time for her hunch to be confirmed.

"You need to wear that outfit tonight and show it to Ruby. And not just a simple peak. I want you to sleep with her while wearing it" Yang told Weiss.

The request that Yang had on her mind was a little bit close to what Weiss thought she would ask of her but it definitely escalated into a whole other level as Yang asked for something so lewd and indecent and Weiss absolutely had no plans following Yang's little request if she wanted something in that level.

"There's no way I'm going to do that Yang! I know that you have a reputation for taking things a little bit too far but this is too much" Weiss told Yang angrily.

"What did I do? You did promise to sleep with her tonight, right?" Yang reminded Weiss who seemed utterly confused by the whole situation.

Weiss decided to not let her emotions overcome her at that moment and that it was the best time to use the rational part of her personality. She stood there silently as she pondered about what Yang had asked from her. And in just a quick flash, Weiss noticed how flustered she became as she completely misunderstood the small favor that Yang asked from her as she unintentionally denoted Yang's use of words with a much more, risqué subject.

Yang also knew that Weiss had finally came to her senses and in order to wrap the whole situation up, Yang decided to clarify her terms with Weiss in order to avoid any more miscommunications and for them to finally get a move on as they have already spent too much time just rambling to each other while the rest of their friends waited for them.

"Jeez Weiss, you really need to get a hold on with this romance thing. It's starting to mess with your head a little bit. And to give you some peace of mind, what I meant was sleep _sleep_. Not the other thing. I don't think that you two dorks can handle the pressure to even get to that stage" Yang told Weiss as she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Yang, I'm just nervous about this whole thing and I just want to fulfil the expectations that Ruby has for this sort of relationship"

"Well knowing Ruby, she probably doesn't have very high expectations. But she probably appreciates your effort especially if you try your hardest" Yang finished while patting Weiss on her head which the heiress gladly accepted.

Their small talk finally over, both Weiss and Yang proceeded to speed walk their way back to their group and make up for the lost time that they had wasted. They both knew that they would get a mouthful from Qrow after he explicitly told them to be back quickly. But they both knew that what they talked about was much more important compared to avoiding a lecture from Qrow and both Weiss and Yang decided to handle that problem later.

"Hey Yang, do you really think that I can pull this off?" Weiss asked while the two of them continued to move in a fast pace.

"I do. You're confident enough with your own abilities and if you just want to make Ruby happy then I guess that nothing bad could happen because of it. And maybe one day, the two of you can reach that stage where the two of you can actually sleep _sleep_ " Yang told Weiss while she ended her statement with one large suggestive wink.

Compared to the earlier definition that Yang gave her, Weiss immediately knew from the wink that Yang gave her that what she had said suggested something much more inappropriate compared to the more innocent plan that she had for that night. Because of it, her mind had started to wander around and think about much more suggestive situations between Ruby and her and Weiss did everything that she could to erase those thoughts from her mind.

All of the lewd thoughts that circulated in her mind had started to make her guilty and embarrassed and the one thing that she thought could help alleviate it was to give Yang a light punch. After all, she was the one that incited those feelings within her and Weiss that that giving Yang a little bit of pain could wake her up from her daydreaming.

"Hey! What was that for?" Yang told Weiss as she reacted to her light punch.

"Just shut up for the rest of our walk or you'll get more from me"

"Fine fine, I'll stop poking fun at your lewd thoughts for Ruby"

Yang threw one more retort towards Weiss but she just decided to ignore it so that she wouldn't encourage Yang to go further and to avoid falling into Yang's little trap of trying to provoke her and exploiting her flustered self.

It took much longer than expected, but the whole group had finally regrouped with each other and all of the necessary preparations that they made were finally complete and the only thing that awaited them was the surprise that Qrow kept under wraps and they were all excited to see what it was all about.

The massive delay that Yang and Weiss caused for their schedule had managed to make Qrow slightly irritated and annoyed at the two of them. Especially Yang who he still had an unsettled grudge with and the two of them tried to reason out why it took them so long to return back to their group. The only argument that they had to fall on was the fact that Weiss became too involved with the clothes that she sampled and that she took too much time on trying to dredge up anything that could satisfy her needs.

By knowing Weiss' sister, Winter. Qrow knew all too well the eccentric tastes that the Schnee family had and it was no news to him that the younger version of winter would be just as vexing as her. But arguing with the two younger girls would just be a waste of energy for Qrow and nothing good would even come out of it if he tried. So he just let it slide for the time being as they had better things to do and a considerable distance to cover before they could stop worrying about the time they had on their hands and exchange it for something far more dangerous and sensitive.

"Come on kids, we don't have all day. Let's get this over with so I can finally leave you guys alone and have a drink" Qrow announced as he signalled all of them to follow his back.

"And in one quick flash, he's finally back to normal" Jaune pointed out while the rest of them uttered a small giggle.

The schedule that they had laid out had finally started to move once again and they were now on their way to the destination that Qrow had told them all earlier. They were eager to finally have some fun that day as they really haven't had a real break ever since they reached Mistral. And what made the deal sweeter was the fact that their numbers weren't as scarce as before and they had actual friends right beside them which would bring back fond memories and make the free time that they had all the more worth it.

Each person was divided into their own groups as they all unconsciously agreed to spend more time with their respective teammates. Ren, Nora, and Jaune all bundled together in a group as both Ren and Jaune stood right beside Nora in order to share the popcorn that she had purchased because of her insatiable hunger. It had been a long time since they ever spent time with just the three of them and it made them reminisce of the old times when their team was just young and full of spirit along with their old friend which they dearly missed.

And in the spirit of reconciliation, it was no secret that Ruby, Weiss, and Yang would group up with each other as this was the first day that they would spend with each other as a team after many months of not seeing each other face to face or even hearing any news about any single one of them.

Weiss was in the middle of the two energetic sisters as they both chatted away while Weiss would butt in between their conversation in order to add her own two cents to their discussion. Both Ruby and Yang really had personalities that were very much different from Weiss and that made her very awkward when it comes to the conversations that the two sisters would have. But somehow, Ruby had managed to change the subject into something that Weiss can relate to. But she wished that wasn't the case as Ruby addressed something that both Yang and her just resolved and it just served as another bullet for her to try and dodge.

"Hey Weiss, both you and Yang decided to check out some clothes right?" Ruby asked gingerly while Weiss tried to divert the subject to another direction.

"Umm, yeah we did. It's just some casual clothes, nothing special" Weiss tried to muster up while a lump formed on her throat.

"Hey I want to see! It's not every day that I get to see you in normal clothes so this will be a special treat!" Ruby commented.

"Can I see the clothes that you got? We're not really doing anything important yet so it should be just fine" Ruby requested.

"Not now Ruby, maybe later" Weiss told Ruby back while trying to hide the nervousness from her voice.

"Oh come on, just a small peek. Hey Yang, help me out here will ya"

Ruby had decided to use the younger sister card as she looked over to Yang as she tried to get assistance from her or even a single shred of support so that Weiss would give over the small paper bag that she had. But what Ruby didn't know that the contents of the bag that Weiss had were very sensitive and she didn't know that both Weiss and Yang were partners on this one. But even with that, Yang couldn't just simply ignore her sister as she would raise unnecessary suspicion and lead them to getting caught even more.

Yang tried to rack her brain to find some way to get the two of them out of that position. But it didn't help that Ruby tried to use her puppy eyes on her to try and convince her to help in recovering the paper bag that Weiss had. While at the same time, Weiss looked at her with eyes full of panic and desperation as it was meant to be a signal for Yang to fix something up and get them out of the possible mess that they could get themselves into.

The only way out that Yang could think of was to use one of Ruby's weaknesses in order to get her distracted and hopefully get her mind out of Weiss' personal belongings. Yang knew that Ruby was easily distracted by cute things and evidently, there was one cute thing around them that they could use to distract her. Cute for Ruby at least. But for others, cold and ruthless.

"But Ruby, don't you like how Weiss looks with her current outfit right now?"

Yang asked as she tried to change the subject to Weiss' appearance. It wasn't much, but it was the only topic that was loosely connected to their train of thought and one that could catch Ruby's attention.

In some way, it actually worked as Ruby's eyes started to wander around Weiss' figure. She remembered that she actually lent the outfit that Weiss wore and even if time had already passed since the first time that she saw her in that outfit, it never failed to amaze Ruby as she felt that Weiss looked complete with the precious white cloak that she had on that made Weiss all the more radiant to Ruby's eyes.

"Of course I like how Weiss looks like right now. I mean every single thing looks good on her and I don't care what she wears since she'll make it work. Even though she doesn't wear casual clothing like a normal human" Ruby praised Weiss while also poking fun at her at the same time.

Weiss was mildly flattered by the complement that Ruby gave her but the small comment that she told about her near the end ticked her off a little bit and she was about to give Ruby a piece of her mind. But before the words she made could ever escape her mouth, Ruby approached her from behind and wrapped her arms around her waist. Completely enveloping her as Weiss could now feel Ruby's heat against her back.

"What I really like the most about her is her hair and how it looks great along with Mom's cloak. It's also the same for her skins since it's so bright and the cloak makes her really standout"

Ruby nestled her chin on top of Weiss' shoulders as she whispered these sweet compliments directly into her ears. Up to that point, Weiss forgot how big Ruby had grown and the only thing that made her remember was the feeling of helplessness as she felt that Ruby had completely enveloped her body. Not that she minded or anything. It just surprised her a lot but what added on to that was the fact that Ruby had started to act weird as if a lever had suddenly been pulled in her brain.

The energetic girl had started to lay low while she continued to latch on to Weiss as they walked. Weiss couldn't take the words that Ruby whispered to her out of her mind and she suddenly felt all hot and bothered as the way Ruby spoke really hit a chord within her and it started to form a blush on her face that she desperately tried to hide.

But Weiss' suffering was just about to start as even more changes to her environment had contributed to her already embarrassed and flustered self. The white haired girl now felt Ruby's soft breathing against the crook of her neck and that just made her heart move in rapid and abnormal beats. The whole situation felt innocent when it just started to happen and it would never occur to Weiss that it would take a very big turn.

The things that Weiss started to feel didn't sit well with her and she felt as if something was wrong. Ruby had started to act weird ever since she completely enveloped her and a terrifying thought had popped out of Weiss' mind. She suddenly realized that maybe Ruby had meant to be intimate like this and it wasn't just a small gesture of love that she wanted to share with Weiss.

With that realization, Weiss' eyes widen as she looked over to Yang in order to try and get some help from the brunette's older sister. But all of the hope that Weiss had were all flushed down the drain as Yang surprisingly had a shocked look on their face. It was clear to the two of them what Ruby had accomplished and it was no secret that even Yang was unsure of what Ruby had incited.

"Ruby, you're kind of weirding me out" Weiss told Ruby while she still comfortably rested on her shoulder.

"What do you mean weirding you out?"

Ruby replied back but with much a much more soft and tender voice that somehow felt more sensual than it should have been to Weiss' ears. It was now clear that Ruby meant for this to happen as she looked directly at Weiss' face right now and the look that Ruby had on was full of confidence and obvious knowledge that she had Weiss under her trap.

Weiss couldn't take another second under the harsh conditions that she was in because she felt that she was in the brink of death because of all of the intense feelings that coursed through her body. She felt hot all over, her palms started to sweat, even Weiss' heart was affected by Ruby's sudden actions and it scared her that her heart had started to feel like it pulsed two times in a single second.

Yang recognized the pressure that Weiss was under but she had mixed feelings for the whole situation that she had on her hands. Her position was currently neutral between the two of them as Yang felt that either one of them didn't really need her help up to that point. But because of what had unfolded, she was about to break her streak as Yang thought that Weiss could use a little help with this one because of how inexperienced she was in handling moves so forward like the ones that Ruby had just pulled off.

And that was another thing that swayed Yang to Weiss' side. The way that Ruby acted so confidently and smoothly had managed to surprise her pleasantly but also made her fear what her little sister was capable of. The way that Ruby acted while she decided to tease Weiss had reminded Yang of herself for a little bit as those were the same exact mannerisms that she remembered she had whenever she was gunning for a certain someone that caught her fancy. This made Yang remember what Weiss did earlier and she thought that Ruby was the winner in their little match on who could make the other one embarrassed because of their intimacy together.

It was finally time for Yang to step in and take hold before things could get too heavy for Weiss and completely make her pass out. It was amusing while it lasted for Yang but it was already time to wrap it up and save Weiss from complete and utter embarrassment.

"Ruby to be honest, you're also scaring me right now" Yang told her out loud so that she could hear it.

"How come?" Ruby asked with her regular voice which eased Weiss a little bit as it looked like that things could still be salvageable.

"I'm going to be honest here, but you're kind of freaking me out since your acting like me whenever I'm trying to tease someone I like" Yang uttered without fail and complete honesty.

The older blonde expected a much more shocked and dumbfounded response from Ruby because of Yang's sudden forwardness. But instead, she was greeted with a large smile that came from Ruby's face as she suddenly sprang up and removed her grip from Weiss. What she suddenly did had confirmed both Weiss and Yang's suspicions and it was now evident that Ruby meant for everything to happen the way that it did.

"What's wrong? I'm just practicing you know" Ruby replied cheerfully as she was now back to her usual self.

"I knew it! You were trying to make a move on Weiss, didn't you?"

Yang asked energetically as she was ecstatic to know that Ruby had pulled of something so unexpected especially coming from her and one that concerns her intimacy with Weiss.

"Yep, pretty much" Ruby replied back without any hesitation at all.

"Wow Rubes, I would never have guessed that you out of all people could be so confident when hitting on someone. To be honest, as your big sister I'm pretty envious. I've done that stuff for a long time and I can't believe that you can do what I do in such a short amount of time"

Yang praised Ruby with kind words as she felt that at least a part of her personality had been carried over to her younger sister and the two of them could share something that they can both call theirs. Even though it was just the confidence and techniques to hit on the people that they like.

"Well that's not to say that I'm not proud of Weiss too. She's already done some pretty drastic things and I'm excited to see if it can top the moves that you just pulled off little sis"

"What do you mean Yang? What did Weiss do?" Ruby asked, confused on what Yang meant by the thing that Weiss had done.

A whole second passed in real time and throughout that whole second, Weiss felt that her heart had completely stopped functioning and it stopped her blood from flowing through the rest of her body as she became numb and her chest felt heavier than usual. She couldn't believe that Yang could sell her out at that very moment and what added even more insult to injury was that Weiss couldn't do or say anything to prevent her from revealing her secret since she would be attracting more attention to herself.

The only reasonable thing to do was to pray that Yang would have mercy for her as her friend so that she could shut her mouth regarding the contents of her bag. And just in case, Weiss already prepared the remaining dignity that she could salvage from her persona as she was ready to receive the sudden outburst of laughs and comments that would come out from the rest of her friends.

"No surprise is fun if its spoiled early. You'll just have to wait"

"That's quite ironic coming from you sis"

Ruby replied back with a disappointed and pouting face as she wasn't able to find out what Weiss had done and this made Yang's mission successful as she was able to prevent Ruby from digging through Weiss' belongings. In exchange for a completely surprising turn of events that Yang didn't even bother to complain about since it was too entertaining and fascinating to watch her younger sister do more mature acts compared to her younger self.

After a stressful few minutes full of tension and suspense, Weiss was finally able breathe a sigh of relief among many panting breaths and nervous inhaling and exhaling that she exhibited throughout the past few moments that she shared with the three sisters. Weiss was practically worn out by then and she appreciated every single bit of rest that she could so that she may be able to recover from all of the energy that she exerted for showing off every single symptom that a panicked person would have.

Out of the blue, a light tapping had immediately disturbed Weiss' small moment of rest and that made her immediately direct her direction to her right side and what greeted her was a smiling Ruby with a much more tame and innocent self rather than the intimidating and seductive self that Ruby decided to transform to earlier.

Before Weiss could ask any questions from Ruby, the brunette was able to beat her to the punch and she was able to talk to Weiss first and she offered her something to serve as a sorry gift for her sudden change in character and to assist her throughout the rest of the walk as Ruby felt that Weiss had already been tired out that early into the day and she deemed it necessary for her to at least gain a little bit of strength for them to enjoy the rest of their day off.

"Would you like to hop on my back for the rest of the ride?" Ruby offered.

"What do you mean?"

"I meant what I said. You're probably tired after all of the ruckus that me and Yang caused so why not just take it slow and rest on my back for a little bit"

"Are you crazy? As if you can carry me all the way to where we're going. Let alone carry me in the first place" Weiss reasoned.

The whole thing seemed preposterous to Weiss as she thought that a girl like Ruby couldn't possibly have the ability to carry a person for a certain amount of time. She did acknowledge that Ruby had grown quite a lot but that didn't cloud her instincts to tell her that she was right even though Ruby was very confident with her ability to do so.

Yang overheard the small offer that Ruby had offered and how Weiss quickly shot it down immediately. She knew how strong Ruby really was and Yang was confident that Ruby could carry Weiss all the way through and then some. So in order to be fair to the two of them, Yang decided to give Ruby a helping hand just like what she did with Weiss and that would come by her testifying to Ruby's abilities.

"Weiss, you wield a light sword and I fight with my gauntlets and feet. Ruby is the only one besides uncle Qrow who wields a weapon as big as the scythe that she has. It isn't really impossible for her to carry you on her back so why not try it? It won't really hurt anyone right?" Yang stepped in and told Weiss.

"Well what if she drops me? It's going to hurt you know" Weiss still refused stubbornly.

"Come on Weiss have some faith. How can you arrive at the _sleep_ sleep stage if you can't even trust Ruby with a single piggyback ride?"

Foul memories had resurfaced at the top of Weiss' mind as she once again remembered the meaning of the term that Yang had used. It made her uncomfortable hearing that phrase come out of Yang's mouth as it bought with it a plethora of unsavoury and inappropriate thoughts that even Weiss would feel guilty that she ever wished about those things.

Ruby overheard what her sister said but she failed to comprehend the true meaning of the phrase. She may act all mature and grown up outside, but her mind was still pure and innocent and she questioned why Yang spoke like that and her curiosity got the better of her as she asked her sister about it.

"What do you mean by _sleep_ sleep?" Ruby asked innocently.

In a panic, Weiss waved her hands right in front of Ruby so that she may have a chance to save her innocent mind from being corrupted by what Yang spurted out of her mouth.

"It's nothing Ruby! It's just Yang joking around and poking fun at me" Weiss explained.

"Poking fun at what?"

At times like these, Weiss wouldn't mind Ruby turning into a dunce for once and stop noticing all of the inconsistencies that Weiss had with her statements. She wanted Ruby to forget that this whole thing ever happened and in order for that to happen, sacrifices had to be made and that would come in the form of Weiss accepting the little piggy back ride that Ruby offered even with all of the embarrassment that would come with it.

"You know what, I'm actually a little bit tired. So, I actually wouldn't mind taking a short break, on your back" Weiss asked shyly.

"Really!?"

"If it's okay with you at least"

"Of course! Oh Weiss, I promise that this will be the best ride of your life!" Ruby exclaimed happily.

"Too soon Ruby. There are going to be more exciting rides in the future" Yang butted in as she inserted another inappropriate joke in her bottomless collection.

Weiss' face burned up completely because of another joke that came out of Yang. These comments continued to pester her throughout the day and she didn't know how much she could take before she could finally lose her sanity. And what made it worse was that Ruby once again overheard the inappropriate joke that her sister made and Weiss had to go and make up another plan to cover up the joke that Yang made.

"Yang! You do know that your sister is right beside us right?" Weiss told her.

"So what? She's still young and naive Weiss. And besides, we both know that I'm right" Yang teased once again while throwing another one of her winks that made Weiss want to pull all of her hair out.

"That's not the point okay. Ruby doesn't need to hear all of this and I especially don't want her to think that I want that kind of stuff"

The two girls had now entered the second argument between the two of them for that day. Neither one of them would submit to the other and that made things complicated since Weiss was not one to easily accept defeat and Yang was the type of person to feed on a person's despair for her amusement. They were both engaged in an endless loop with an unwarranted casualty in the middle as they both forgot that Ruby was present which made their voices retain the same volume and easily audible to Ruby's ears.

Ruby knew from her past memories that any argument that a person could have with either Weiss or Yang could last a life time and she didn't want the rest of their walk to devolve into a stream of arguments or hurtful words that could possibly ruin their day. Even though she was the youngest out of the three of them, it was up to Ruby to become the adult in this situation and she decided to step in by being brutally honest and straight to the point.

"Guys, you know I'm still here right?" Ruby told the two of them.

All of the bickering that happened between Weiss and Yang had arrived to an abrupt halt as their minds finally processed that Ruby was there and that she overheard their whole conversation. Two sets of shocked eyes had focused towards Ruby because both Yang and Weiss panicked because of the possible things that they had exposed Ruby to. They were both about to apologize and cover up everything that they had said. But a stern cough from Ruby had made them both shut up and that opened up the stage for Ruby as it was her turn to speak up.

"I only have two things to say to you" Ruby faced Yang as she was about to lecture her first.

"Yang, I may be younger than you, but I'm not that young and stupid. So I know what you meant by "ride" and that's quite inappropriate thank you very much"

Yang was completely embarrassed by the situation that she was put in as she would never have thought that her own younger sister would be the one to lecture her. But all of the points that she gave were all warranted and Yang couldn't find a single error in her statement and it rattled her that Ruby could scold her like that.

"Ruby, I'm sorry but I really didn't mean to-"

"Stop right there Yang, I'll talk to you again later" Ruby immediately shot down Yang.

The next person that she turned her attention to was Weiss. Never in a million years would Weiss think that she would be afraid of Ruby and the fact that she was a bit taller than her had added on to that terror. Ruby faced her sternly as she looked like a teacher that was about to punish a student. There was no escaping the scolding that Ruby was about to give her so Weiss just sucked it up as she completely deserved the words that Ruby would give her.

"And Weiss,"

"Yes Ruby?" Weiss spoke up.

In a quick turn of events, Ruby's serious looks had been blown out of the water and a big smile had once again formed in her face. A big sense of relief had washed over Weiss as she felt that she was safe from the scolding that Ruby had inflicted on Yang. But upon hearing the words that Ruby had told her, Weiss wished that Ruby just spurted out bad words or insults as her as nothing could compare to the feeling of death as Weiss felt that she was about to die on the spot because of shame and embarrassment.

"Yang's right. This isn't really the ideal _ride_ that you want, but we have to make with do with this for now. Maybe some other time. And some place more private" Ruby blurted out nonchalantly.

Neither Weiss or Yang could be prepared for what Ruby had just said and even Yang was in such a state of shock that she needed to cover her mouth with both of her hands to contain the squeals that she released from her mouth. Weiss had it the worst as she completely tensed up and her face turned completely red because of all of the self-awareness that Ruby had. Shame had covered her entire body as Weiss thought that her image was changed within Ruby's mind and she tried to find the words within her to deny all of the accusations that Ruby made.

But with all of her efforts combined, Weiss couldn't find it in her to speak and she just stood there frozen while Ruby continued to smile towards her location. Ruby on the other hand, knew that both Yang and Weiss were surprised by what she had just said so she took everything to her own hands and she walked over to Weiss and bended over so that she could finally carry the heiress on her back.

Without any warning at all, Weiss felt her body rising as she was lifted up from the ground behind Ruby's back. She instinctively held on to Ruby's shoulders because of the fear of falling off. Weiss could feel the vibrations that Ruby's footsteps gave off and she couldn't believe that Ruby actually pulled it off and carried her behind her back.

"See Weiss? I can carry you through the whole way you know" Ruby boasted proudly.

"Fine, I believe you. And Ruby,"

"What is it?"

Weiss gave Ruby a big kiss on the cheek to serve as a sincere token of appreciation for the small act that Ruby did. She couldn't believe that Ruby could be this thoughtful and sweet and the only way that Weiss could show her thanks was with a little bit of affection to show the girl that she really loved her.

Even though it was just a kiss on the cheek, Ruby accepted it fully and she acknowledged how much it meant for Weiss to give a kiss like that. Every single touch that came out of Weiss' lips was a treasure that Ruby wanted to keep and this was no exception.

"Thanks for that Weiss. I really appreciate it" Ruby thanked Weiss.

"It's fine Ruby. You are doing all the heavy lifting after all. Literally" Weiss joked.

"And by the way, if you get tired, I can carry on my back if you get tired" Weiss offered.

The only reply that Ruby could give was a soft giggle as she found it amusing for Weiss to actually say that out loud. She appreciated that Weiss gave her that offer but Ruby knew that Weiss wouldn't even be able to lift her off the ground. Nonetheless, Ruby praised Weiss' optimism but she decided to take a pass on that one.

"No thanks Weiss. I'll handle it from here so sit tight"

"Okay, I love you" Weiss told Ruby affectionately

"I love you too" Ruby responded.

With Weiss on her back and Yang right beside her, the three of them finally approached their destination and they could see the park that Qrow told them all about from the distance. This excited the three of them as Qrow's surprise would finally be revealed and they could all proceed to the rest of their day off.

"Hey Weiss, can I ask you a question?" Ruby asked.

"Of course. What's it about?"

"Do you always prefer being on top?" Ruby asked, obviously adding on to the train of inappropriate jokes that they made that day and Weiss wasn't a single bit pleased by it.

"Dear God, when are we going to stop with all of these lewd jokes?!" Weiss spurted out both annoyed and flustered at the same time.

"Hey Weiss, answer her question. Wouldn't it be rude to leave Ruby hanging?" Yang butted in once again after the few minutes of silence that she spent with herself.

"You two are hopeless you know that!?"

"I know Weiss, but you still haven't answered my question" Ruby teased.

"Just shut up!"

Laughter came from the two sisters as they both reveled in Weiss' misery while the white haired girl buried her face deep into Ruby's back. She wanted this conversation to end as she didn't have the energy to fight the two energetic sisters together. Weiss decided to take the bullet for once in order to avoid her slipping up and actually answering the question that Ruby asked her.

* * *

 **Jeez, I haven't written one of these in a very long time so I've got to apologize for any inconsistencies especially because of the fact that I remade one of the scenes in such short notice. I haven't posted for a long time know and I wanted to give something to you guys before the month could end.**

 **The holiday season has been very stressful as usual and it has warranted some delays when it comes to my writing because of my schedule. School and many different vacations lay in between my schedule so it left me with days when I couldn't write and some days too exhausted to do anything productive. But nonetheless, I'm still happy that I could share this chapter with you guys!**

 **I also have to give a lot of thanks for your overall support for this story. We're almost approaching 9k views which means that we're steadily approaching 10k! I never thought that this story could reach this many views and it is all thanks to you guys who read the story constantly and give good feedback.**

 **With that being said, this would probably be the last upload for the month since I have more vacations to go through and a rough first week of school as soon as I come back so writing would probably be at the back of my priorities for a couple of weeks. But I do promise to finish this to the very end so don't worry.**

 **As always, thank you for taking your time and reading the whole story and reviews are appreciated. As always, see you next time!**


	23. Chapter 23

The sun refused to die down and its light never managed to let up which made their walk all the more rewarding when their small group had finally reached the end of their journey as they were now face to face with the entrance of the park that they were meant to meet up in.

A large archway stood above an open metallic gate which beckoned all of them inside. But the fatigue that they had all accumulated because of the long walk to reach there had taken a toll on their bodies and Qrow spared a moment of reprieve so that they could all catch their breath before continuing their walk inside.

Two benches sat across each other near the gate to the park. Jaune, Ren, and Nora immediately occupied the first bench that they saw and a large breath of relief was released from the three of them as they were all exhausted by the trip that they took.

One would think that Ruby would be worn out by that time as they all knew that she stubbornly carried Weiss on her shoulders while they walked and the huge weight was sure to drain the stamina out of a person in no time. But despite that fact, Ruby still had a large smile on her face and nothing seemed out of place with the way she looked except for the small beads of sweat that surrounded her face due to the heat of the sun that overtook them all.

On the other hand, Weiss looked the most pristine out of all of them and it was no surprise that she sported a smile that was as big as Ruby's. She was the only one who didn't put any effort into their walk with the whole group. Jaune and the two other members of their trio shot glares of jealousy towards Weiss because of how much Ruby pampered her. But they didn't want to make a big fuss about the whole thing since it was Ruby's decision to do it and it wasn't really a big deal to them even though they were tired due to the energy that they lost.

"See Weiss? I told you I could carry you all the way through" Ruby chanted proudly.

"Fine, I believe you now. I guess the absurd amount of time that you spent with your scythe actually paid off even for a dolt like you" Weiss replied teasingly.

"Oh you're just jealous that you're not as strong as me. Don't worry Weiss, if I can grow then you can grow too!" Ruby reminded Weiss.

Because of that thought, Weiss felt a little bit annoyed as she realized that Ruby was younger than her but judging by appearance and their physical abilities, Ruby outclassed her far more and she couldn't believe that someone younger than her could develop that much in a small amount of time. She questioned why she hadn't grown at the same rate as Ruby but there was still a little bit of hope within her that she could beat Ruby in the game of genetics. And if it finally happens someday, maybe she could be the one to tease Ruby about her body.

"Just you wait, I'm going to be taller than you and I'm the one who'll carry you next time" Weiss told Ruby confidently.

"That's so sweet Weiss. I just hope that you get to the actual growing part" Ruby teased her once again.

"Hey, you're joking around with me again aren't you?"

Ruby just snickered due to Weiss' annoyed reaction but the heiress couldn't really do anything drastic as she didn't want to lose her privilege of staying on the top of Ruby's shoulders. It was a very important perk for her at the time as it lessened the strain on her body as she wouldn't have to walk and she could be closer to Ruby. Then again, some small part of her felt sorry for being such a burden to Ruby but Weiss promised to herself that she would make it up to the brunette and the more mischievous side of her mind thought that the small surprise that she had on her bag would be enough for Ruby to be satisfied.

This made a small blush appear on Weiss' face but she chose to ignore it so that Ruby wouldn't see her like that and bring any suspicion on her.

Amidst all of their activities, Yang decided to take a seat on the vacant bench that sat across Jaune and the others. She was the only person that decided to sit on that bench as Ruby decided to show off and continued to carry Weiss along her shoulders even though they all decided to rest. And to add on to that, it looked like Weiss enjoyed being carried by Ruby far more than she expected as both of them had smiles on their faces even though the rest of them felt exhausted already.

A cool shade had managed so serve as a roof over Yang's head because of the tree that sat directly behind the bench that she sat on. It cooled off her head as it felt hot as ever because of the overbearing heat of the sun above their heads. Yang decided to make the most of the small time that she had by putting her shades on while she closed her eyes to avoid the radiant sunlight that still loomed above them. A sense of tranquility and relaxation came over her as a cold breeze swept across her face and she felt every single trace of wind that blew against her.

The sense of relaxation that overtook Yang didn't last long as she thought it would as she felt an extra weight being applied to the vacant bench and she opened one of her eyes to see who it was. And judging by the sight that appeared in her eyes, there was more trouble about to head her way and she didn't want any single part of it.

"Uncle Qrow, I know that we still have a small game to settle between the two of us but can we just rest for now?" Yang pleaded.

"Don't worry kid, I'm not here to cause any havoc. That's for another day. In fact, I just wanted to ask you a question"

"What is it?"

"Are you okay?" Qrow asked with a concerned look on his face that Yang barely ever saw.

"What do you mean?" Yang asked as she was confused by what her uncle meant.

"I mean how are you doing right now. Have you finally moved on from everything?" Qrow asked.

"Why are you even asking this Uncle Qrow? It's not like it's important to you or anything" Yang replied back smugly.

"Trust me kid, I'm your uncle. It's very important for me to know if you're okay or not"

"Why do you need to know anyway?!" Yang now clearly irritated by Qrow's continuous pushing.

Things haven't even kicked off yet and Qrow could already see bad signs for what's to come. It was clear that Yang was still apprehensive by the things in her past that still haunted her and it worried Qrow that meeting with Blake wouldn't be such a good idea under these circumstances. He couldn't gauge how Yang felt and Qrow needed to know what her feelings would be just so he could take extra precautions during the said meet up.

"Please Yang, I just want to know if you're okay or not" Qrow tried to persuade her once again but this time with a more hush tone.

Yang didn't respond immediately and Qrow could see the look of annoyance and discomfort in Yang's face because of what he asked. It was uncertain whether or not she would answer his question but the only thing that Qrow was worried about at that moment was that Yang would cause a scene and draw attention to the two of them.

Rushing the whole situation really wasn't the way that Qrow wanted to handle their conversation so he decided to give Yang enough breathing room to make her decision. And it looked like it started to work as Yang tapped her foot lightly on the ground and pondered for a little bit until Qrow was finally met with the blonde girl's voice. And it immediately worried him that the sound that greeted him was not of the adventurous and confident girl that she knew, but one of a more scared and nervous Yang that he only ever saw once when both Ruby and her were still kids.

"Would you be mad if I told you that it still hurts"

"Being mad is your strong suit kid, not mine. Besides, why would I be mad?" Qrow replied back trying to sound as comforting as possible.

"I don't know. Maybe I think that you have high expectations that you expect me to bounce back up"

"Don't worry, I'm not in a rush to see you back to your old self especially if you're just trying to force it. Getting back up from a fall like that isn't easy and rushing it isn't going to help at all.

"But take it from my experience kid, keeping everything to yourself will just make it worse. You have friends who will always have your back and even more people who love you. Consider yourself lucky since other people only have alcohol to keep them company through the dark times" Qrow finished while poking fun at himself with a small grin.

"You know Uncle Qrow, I never thought that there was a soul within that body of yours, I stand corrected" Yang told the older man with a bit of a more cheerful tone than earlier.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself Blondie. We still have a score to settle so don't let your guard down. I just had to tick a checkbox on the "Being a good uncle" list"

"Noted" Yang replied back.

Their small time together had finally come to a close as Qrow rose up from the bench that he accompanied Yang on as he left her to her own business. Yang didn't really look up to Qrow as much as Ruby did but she could understand how her little sister could look up to a person like their uncle. He was a bit annoying at times and certainly unconventional compared to the other people in his field, but he always had a soft spot for family no matter what the situation was.

Yang also rose up from where she sat as it was almost time for them to enter the park and unveil the little secret that Qrow had in store for them. But before she could make steps in order to approach her uncle, Qrow turned his head around and it looked like he was about to say something to her. So Yang stood her ground and waited for something to come out of her uncle's mouth.

"And by the way Yang, no matter what happens, can you promise me that you won't trash the whole place?" Qrow asked her with a somewhat serious and joking tone at the same time.

"What's that supposed to mean? There's no reason for me to do anything that harsh. Unless you plan on pranking me again" Yang replied.

"Just promise me"

"Fine, I won't destroy the park no matter what happens. You happy now?"

"I hope you keep your word"

Qrow's little request from Yang had baffled her a little bit as her uncle was once again very vague and it somehow unsettled her because of the warning that he had thrown in her direction. It made her think of a reason on why she would act so harshly but her mind turned to blank as to what would cause her to get mad if the only thing that their trip was concerned with was to meet with Neptune and his friends.

And a small idea popped inside of Yang's head but it gave her more questions than answers. What if the whole reason why they came in that park wasn't just to meet Neptune and his team. Maybe Qrow had something under her sleeve and it was another secret that he refused to tell any single one of them.

Yang decided to question Qrow regarding her small thought or at least get something as small as a hint if she was lucky.

"Hey Uncle Qrow, do you have-"

Before Yang could ask her question, Qrow's raspy voice had cut her off as he shouted for all of them to stop resting and get back on their feet. Jaune, Ren, and Nora immediately leapt from where they sat while Ruby rushed over to Jaune and the others as Weiss continued to sit on her shoulders. In just a few seconds, Yang was left in the dust as she was left in the back of their group while her uncle had already covered a significant distance.

She could have run off in order to catch up to her uncle and continue to ask the question that she had on her mind. But the sun continued to mercilessly rain down its rays towards Yang without hesitation and with no sign of stopping. The heat was so intense that it exhausted Yang just being exposed to it. So Yang decided to take a pass on this one and she put on her sunglasses once again and steadily made her way back to their group so that she would not be left behind and to make their way towards their final destination.

The group had started their approach towards the center of the park and their formation was spearheaded by the three main girls of the group which were Yang along with both Ruby and Weiss who still continued their whole act as Ruby continued to carry Weiss on top of her shoulders. Yang had caught up to them quickly as soon as their Qrow stood up and lead them to the stone pathway. The park was a nice change of pace and a breath of fresh air as there were barely any people. In fact, it felt like they ruined the peace around the whole place because of how loud they were.

They entered the park from the south side even though that side was more commonly used to serve as an exit to the place. This meant that it would take a longer time for them to reach the center of the park but none of them minded at all as the whole place had already calmed their nerves enough for them to not notice the extra length that they would walk.

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang all took notice of the calmness of the whole area but even though they appreciated the sense of peace around them, it felt a little bit weird since their surroundings were different to how Mistral really was on the outside and the three of them took their sweet time to breathe in the atmosphere that they were gifted with.

"Even though Mistral is really loud and full of people, it's a surprise that this place is so quiet. I like it but it feels kind of weird" Ruby commented.

"It's only natural for you to feel like that. Even I'm a little bit creeped out because it's really quiet. But I'd rather have this than large crowds and the noisy bustling of everyday city life" Weiss replied.

"That reminds me guys, isn't it a little bit weird that out of all of the places that Neptune and his team could pick they chose the park. I don't know them that well but I do know that they aren't really the peace and quiet type of crowd" Yang brought to their attention.

"Well maybe this was the most convenient place that they could meet us" Weiss reasoned out.

"Yeah that could be it, but I have a feeling that Uncle Qrow is hiding something that he isn't telling the rest of us"

"Why would you think that sis? It's not like he has any reason to hide something from us except for the things that they apparently planned for the day" Ruby added.

"But there's something fishy about how he's acting. Just now, he made me promise that no matter what, I wouldn't destroy the whole place no matter what happened. What does that mean? I can't think of any reason for me to get mad or anything"

"Maybe he plans to prank you again or something" Ruby replied.

"I don't know sis, everything just feels off right now. Maybe I'm just over thinking things but Uncle Qrow has been acting really weird and it's setting off every warning signal in my mind right now" Yang told Ruby.

"Can the two of you stop worrying about something that may or may not be problematic? I mean Yang, you know your uncle and you know how mischievous he can be even for his age. Maybe this is all a part of his plan and by the looks of it, you're falling for it. Just sit back and enjoy the peace while it lasts" Weiss added to their little conversation.

"That's easy for you to say princess. You're the only one lucky enough to have a knight in shining armor to carry you around like that" Yang poked fun at Weiss once again.

"Hey! It's not like I have a choice anyway. It's your sister who's stubborn and won't let me get back down on the ground even though she's clearly tired" Weiss complained.

"First of all, Weiss, you're welcome by the way. And second, Yang, Weiss is right. I'm the one whose forcing her to do this and she doesn't really have a choice. After all, I can't let my little snowflake get tired under this brutal sun" Ruby replied as she tried to poke her finger at Weiss' waist in a teasing way.

"Ruby stop tickling me!" Weiss complained because of her annoyance at what Ruby was doing to her.

"I just can't help it Weiss, you're so adorable!" Ruby squealed under her own amusement.

"You two are hopeless" Yang muttered under her breath even though she secretly adored the sweetness of both her sister and her teammate.

The three of them continued to walk the stone path that would lead them towards a steep hill but they were in no rush to reach it at all. They maintained a slow pace while they chatted away with the time that they had without a single care in the world.

On the other hand, Jaune, Ren, and Nora followed right behind them but there was a considerable gap between the three of them and the rest of the girls as Qrow had started to slow down and halted their advance and after a few moments passed by, Qrow was in the middle of the three of them and it weirded them out why he would walk in such a slow pace.

"Umm, is something bothering you Qrow?" Jaune asked in a typical manner.

Upon hearing Jaune's voice, Qrow abruptly stopped in his tracks and it made the three of them stop in the middle of the path as well. Qrow looked right in front of him but Jaune could tell that he had something on his mind as he lightly and rapidly tapped his foot on the stone pavement which meant that he had something to say to them and was just finding the right time to do so.

Even though Jaune and the rest of his friends had stopped in their tracks, Ruby, Weiss, and even Yang didn't notice their absence as they were busy chatting away with each other. The silence of the whole area had managed to sink in to the three of them and it helped in masking the presence of their other friends which meant that the distance that separated the them from their other friends was even bigger than before.

After Ruby, along with Weiss and Yang, had covered a significant distance, Qrow started to walk once again and alongisde him came Jaune, Ren, and Nora. He slowed his pace enough for him to fit in the middle of the group and it looked like he had something to say so the three of them paid close attention.

"You three, I might be needing your help later and by the looks of it, we're going to need all of the help that we can get" Qrow stated to the three of them.

"What do you mean, are you expecting a fight or something?" Jaune asked.

"An ambush from an enemy may be set further down the path. Should I go ahead and scout the place out?" Ren suggested.

"Ooh boy, and I thought that this day was going to be boring. It's hammer time!" Nora chanted excitedly

The immediate overreaction that the three teens that he chose to depend on had sunk Qrow's hopes even more and the only thing that he could do to acknowledge this was to scratch his head because of the absurdity of their imaginations. But they were the only people that he could depend on right now as he couldn't relay any information to Neptune in advance and approaching the two other girls of team RWBY could cause some problems because of their delicate situation. Jaune and his friends were the only people who weren't directly involved with Blake's relationship with her teammates and they were the only one present that he could talk to.

"That's not it. A fight we can handle but Yang on an emotional breakdown is something else entirely" Qrow mentioned.

"You aren't really making any sense right now. Why do you want help and what does Yang have to do with this" Jaune asked.

"Well I need you three to help me just in case we need to restrain Yang when the time comes"

"What?!" The three of them gasped in disbelief.

"Why would we need to restrain Yang, is there a problem?" Ren asked.

"Clearly there's something that you're not telling us Qrow so just spit it out. Its either that or you won't get our help at all" Nora told Qrow sternly.

Revealing the true intent of their plan to meet up in the park was the only way for Qrow to get the help that he needed. It was a massive risk to include the three of them in the loop but he just crossed his fingers that their lips would be tight enough just so that Yang and the rest of her teammates wouldn't get a single hint of what they really had in store.

"Fine. Do you guys really want to know why we're in here?" Qrow asked the three of them.

The question that Qrow asked had suddenly grabbed hold of the three of them and it made them slowly approach Qrow because of his hushed tone. It looked like he was about to tell a secret and this was a way for them to hear what he was about to say and keep their conversation as contained as it could be.

"Why are we really going here? Are we really going to meet with Neptune and his team or is this all just a sham to get revenge on Yang?" Jaune asked.

"Not exactly. We are going to meet with Neptune and his friends but that's not the main reason why we all decided to meet in here"

"Well, why did we meet up in here?"

"It's because it would be convenient for the two of them to meet in here because this place is close to where they're staying in" Qrow replied although he still didn't reveal the whole picture to their small group.

"The two of them? Are we meeting other people?" Ren asked in turn after Jaune.

"Who are they Qrow? Just spit it out!" Nora told Qrow in an annoyed tone because of how much Qrow alluded to what his secret really was without clearly stating it.

"The reason why we might be needing to restrain Yang later on is because-"

Jaune, Ren and Nora held their breath because they were finally able to know why Qrow acted so weird. Although a small part of them thought that this was another practical joke that he was about to pull off but the serious tone he had in his voice said otherwise and it made them even more intrigued on who the two people that Qrow alluded to were.

"Blake and Sun are about to meet us right now and by the looks of it, Yang isn't really going to be happy in the slightest" Qrow blurted out in a quick pace which made the message harder to digest for the three of them due to the shocked look on their faces.

"WHAT?!" The three of them screamed in shock.

Qrow's heart skipped a beat because the shocked screams that came out from the three of them might've drawn the attention to the three girls in front of them and it could mean the end for them if they were caught having this conversation. Qrow quickly glanced over to the distance to see if any single one of Ruby and her teammates heard a trace of what he said. But his eyes could see their small silhouettes in the distance and an audible breath of relief came out from him because the scene was all clear.

"Can you guys react to anything that I say without drawing any attention to us?!" Qrow growled at them loudly.

"How is this possible?! Didn't Blake run away from them during the fall. And why is Sun with her?" Jaune asked rapidly.

"Apparently Sun followed her as she left and now the two of them are here somehow. I didn't really get briefed in the whole situation so staying alive and hearing the whole story is what I want to happen but that's not likely if Yang goes completely rabid"

"Does anyone besides us know about this?" Ren asked more calmly compared to their reactions.

"Besides team SSSN and the four of us, nobody knows. Not even Weiss or Ruby and especially Yang"

"Geeze, could Yang really get that mad and destroy this whole place in one go?" Nora butted in.

"Could be possible. When she was a kid, she got jealous of Ruby when I was training her and not Yang. She got so angry that one day that I took Ruby out to hunt, she beat us to the spot where we were supposed to train and she basically burnt half of the forest along with all of the Grimm in it. Not even the bones remained and me and Tai made a mental note to never get her that angry ever again"

"But she's completely in turmoil with her feelings right now so I'm not really sure that meeting her old partner that ran away would be a calming experience for her" Qrow added.

"So what are you planning to do, you do know that we can't just restrain her right now without any reason right?" Jaune brought up.

"That's going to be our main problem. I think we should stand down and stay behind her at all times. Because the only reason why we're planning this is when she will overreact. But if she just acts normally then all of this would hopefully be for nothing"

"So our current plan is to wait it out and see what happens?" Ren tried to clarify.

"Pretty much. I just hope that us four can hold their down if needed"

"Hey guys, is it wrong that I find our situation exciting" Nora asked innocently while she jittered slightly which was a unique characteristic of hers.

"A little bit. You do know that we may get arrested if we cause massive damage to this place right?" Jaune replied to Nora's question.

"But I just can't help it you guys. All the drama and tension, will the two lovers reconcile or will the fiery blonde be overcome with revenge instead" Nora stated dramatically.

A confused look had started to form within Jaune's face in response to what Nora had just said. He questioned something about her statement and he was just about to clarify if Nora meant what she had just said.

"Wait a minute Nora, what do you mean by lovers?" Jaune asked, clearly oblivious to the relationship that the two girls had.

Many people knew about how dense Jaune could be but even with that common knowledge, Ren, Nora, and even Qrow couldn't help but give him a disappointed look that was shared across their faces. Nora couldn't decide if Jaune was really joking or not as almost anyone who was friends with anyone in team RWBY knew that those two girls were close and one would think that their relationship was a romantic one. The problem was that neither one of them showed physical affection for each other in public. But besides that, the two were pretty much a couple in the making in the eyes of their friends.

"Wait Jaune, are you really serious?" Nora tried to ask trying to contain her urges to strangle Jaune.

"I mean, aren't they just really good friends?" Jaune tried to elaborate.

Even the calm and collected Ren had started to flinch because of the cringe that he experienced because of Jaune's complete inability to recognize the obvious relationship that the two had. But he really couldn't blame him as Ren knew that he himself acted like Jaune before he realized that Nora had feelings for him. And that thought made him feel even more worse as he thought about how other people felt towards him when he acted as oblivious as the blonde boy in the past.

With his brows twitching and a pit forming in his stomach, Ren placed his hand on top of Jaune's shoulder in order to get his attention. He decided that the only right thing for him to do was help his friend out and make sure that he didnt make a fool out of himself.

"Jaune, do you remember how Yang and Blake treated each other back in beacon?" Ren asked Jaune as he tried to maintain a straight face as hard as he could.

"Yeah of course. Those two were basically inseparable. They both ate together, talked with each other, Yang would massage Blake's ears, Blake would read her favorite books to Yang. They would even feed each other sometimes so yeah I would say that they're pretty close" Jaune answered.

Ren thought that making Jaune realize the bigger picture would be challenging. But he clearly misjudged Jaune's ability to take everything so lightly and not even obvious hints could get through his thick skull. He thought of more memories between Yang and Blake in order to give Jaune's brain a sharp jab and knock some sense into him. And after a few seconds, he found just the right thing as the certain memory that he had was familiar to all of them and he knew that it was a night that none of them would forget.

"Well how about the night of the dance, do you remember what happened back then?" Ren asked trying to sound enthusiastic amidst his broken wits.

"Of course I do. I still remember every single moment during that night. Especially the dance that we all performed" Jaune happily responded as he fondly reminisced about that faithful night.

"Then what do you remember about Yang and Blake during that dance?"

"Well I do remember that Blake danced with Yang for a while. And from what I know, Yang was Blake's first dance. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, and if you didn't know them that well then you could almost think that the two of them were a couple"

Upon hearing this, Ren almost completely lost his sanity as he couldn't believe that Jaune was so close yet so far in finally understanding what he had meant. But the calm demeanour that Ren had could only take so much and the only way that he thought could finally bring Jaune to the conclusion that they all had was with a more physical touch.

Ren tightened his grip on Jaune's shoulder and stared dead center into his eyes. Being calm was the last thing that Ren had on his mind in he was clearly being pushed over the edge by Jaune. But he gave the blonde boy the benefit of the doubt as he gave him at least a few more seconds to try and piece the puzzle on his own before Ren couldn't take any more of it and implode because of all the pent up anger inside him.

But hope had suddenly introduced itself to Ren's eyes as he noticed that the look on Jaune's face had finally started to change a little bit and he was joyful to see that a shocked expression had started to form along the crevices of his friends face. He could only hope that the reason on why he was shocked was because of his sudden realization regarding Blake and Yang's situation. Because if it was anything else, Ren wouldn't be able to contain himself and he couldn't imagine what he could possibly do to Jaune if he continued this farce.

"Wait... they both had a thing for each other!?" Jaune made out amidst the shocked expression on his face.

The look on Jaune's face couldn't be any more comical as his jaw almost reached the ground due to the sudden realization that had hit him like a truck. Nora, Ren, and Qrow all gave their own groans to accompany Jaune's reaction as they were all annoyed that it took that long for him to finally realize what the whole situation was all about.

"Kid, I don't mean to be rude but you're really hopeless aren't you?" Qrow told Jaune.

"I can't believe that it took you this long to realize! Even a 10-year old could have seen that fairytale romance from a mile away!" Nora exclaimed.

"To be honest Jaune, I can't really blame you for being this clueless since I was the same as you. But this, you're taking it to a whole new level my friend" Ren added.

"I'm sorry guys. I'm just not really good with this mushy stuff" Jaune apologized while he scratched his head in disappointment for himself.

Both Nora and Ren didn't really hold anything against Jaune for being like this and neither one of them wanted their friend to feel bad just because he wasn't familiar with situations like these. So in order to make peace, Nora decided to give Jaune a pass on this one as she wrapped her arms around his neck and playfully swung around it in order to serve as a sign which meant that she didn't take anything that Jaune did too seriosuly.

"It's fine Jaune, you don't need to feel bad just because you're clueless about these sort of things. I'm sure that you'll get a hang of it later on" Nora said as she tried to cheer Jaune up.

At the same time, Ren wrapped his right arm along Jaune's neck along with Nora's arm and the usual calmness that he always had on had once again returned and he was already done with the earlier exchange that they had. There were more pressing matters to deal with and they needed to focus all of their attention in order to avoid serious damage or in the worst case get themselves killed.

"So what are you planning to do Qrow?" Ren asked while Jaune and Nora paid close attention.

"Just stay calm. We'll just tail the three of them for now before we do anything harsh. Also, we need to close the distance between us and them or we'll raise too much suspicion if we stay too far behind" Qrow told the three of them.

The trio nodded their heads in order to acknowledge the barebones plan that they had somehow scrounged up and they immediately started to jog towards Ruby and the others to follow Qrow's plan to avoid suspicion. Luckily, Ruby and the rest of her team took their time in walking forward within the stone pathway which would make it fairly easy for them to catch up to the three girls. One factor also added to their favor as there was a mild uphill slope that was right in front of their path which meant that they would have to slow down because of their innate need to conserve energy and avoid exhaustion.

And with just a little bit more effort than usual while also trying to avoid suspicion, Jaune along with Ren and Nora had made their way towards the rest of their group with ease while they continued to maintain a small distance between their group. But Qrow decided to take a step back and follow the now complete group from behind in order to get a larger scope of the whole place.

The uphill slope that the path was embedded in proved to be more of a nuisance than it should be as Ruby could now feel the strain that it put on her body and she could now faintly feel that extra weight that Weiss had on her shoulders and it made her workload a little bit harder to bear than usual.

Ruby slowed down her pace a little bit and this propelled Yang at the front of their group while Ruby tried to follow her in a moderate pace. Weiss noticed that Ruby had started to pant softly to herself and sweat had finally started to fall down her face due to the exhaustion she felt. Weiss decided that enough was enough and it was time for her to relinquish her privilege of riding on top of the brunette's shoulders.

"Ruby, you look tired. Maybe you should just put me down already, I can walk on my own you know" Weiss stated.

"Oh please Weiss, I'm not tired at all" Ruby muttered but she couldn't hide the faint traces of air that she tried to breathe in between the words that she spoke.

Ruby's stubbornness was one thing that Weiss never really tolerated and it irritated her that Ruby continued to ignore her own plights just to show off that she can do these things for her. Weiss knew that Ruby meant well but this was not something that she would want if it caused Ruby some kind of inconvenience.

In order to knock some sense inside of Ruby's head, Weiss decided to shake it up a little bit as she launched a sharp jab at the base of Ruby's skull and an audible grunt of pain came from Ruby as soon as Weiss' fist came in contact with the top of her skull.

"Hey, what was that for!?" Ruby exclaimed in reaction to the sharp pain that she suddenly felt.

"That's for being too much of a show-off. I already know that you're strong enough to carry me and I really appreciate that you did this for me. But you do know that you'll get fatigued if you continue this right?" Weiss told Ruby in a stern tone.

"Sorry, I just really wanted to do this for you. If you really want to walk on your own for now I'll drop you off once we get to the top of this hill. I want to give you a nice view at the very least so at least let me do this"

"Sure, why not. But if you continue to be stubborn I'm going to give you another smack on the head to teach you a lesson"

"Noted" Ruby replied merrily.

The wind started to be more pronounced as they climbed the small hill and it brought with it a small sense of relief for Yang as cool air finally overpowered the rays of sunlight that bombarded her face nonstop. The more grueling walk to reach the top of the hill was a nice change of pace and she couldn't deny that it made her blood start to run and made things less boring compared to the slow leisurely walk that comprised their whole morning.

Yang expected a nice view to come out from the hill that they were in the process of climbing. It motivated her to move in a much faster pace than usual and it looked like the path lead straight to the center of the park. Which meant that they were almost close to their destination which entailed that they could get some more rest after they reached the center.

Even with a renewed sense of motivation and everything feeling as great as they could be, something still bugged Yang's senses and she couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong about the whole thing. Her uncle was acting weird and his remarks really didn't help alleviate her suspicions and her mind was now completely boggled at that point on what Qrow really had in store for them.

And the one fact that made Yang convinced that there was something more to it than just meeting with team SSSN was the fact that Yang noticed that Qrow along with Jaune, Ren, and Nora stopped walking with them and they stopped for a few moments in which Yang could only think that they stopped and had a conversation. She noticed this but decided to not tell Ruby and Weiss as she wanted to know more about the situation herself and to not alert her two teammates as she didn't want to cause a fuss over something that might just be a result of her own paranoia.

But nonetheless, Yang decided to just brace herself as she approached the top of the hill as she thought that her uncle couldn't really plan anything that would cause her major harm. Every single evidence that she had pointed to this thing being something bigger than herself. But not to the point of being life threatening and causing someone harm. Her own overreaction and over thinking about the whole thing had made Yang giggle a little bit to herself just because she realized how crazy her brain could be.

With a new sense of contentment and even a little bit of excitement in anticipation of what crazy scenario her uncle could have in store for her, Yang took her final step against the slope that they treaded which lead her to finally set foot on top of the hill.

Rays of sunlight were the first thing that flooded her eyes as the hill blocked some of the sunlight that streamed across the whole park even though it was already noon. Yang only saw outlines of what was ahead of them and it mostly comprised of more trees and by the looks of it, the park was bigger than it looked from the outside and she was pleasantly surprised that it held much more space than it seemed.

Her eyes now started to adjust to the sunlight and a much brighter picture had started to paint itself around her. Wind steadily blew across the park and she saw the faint movement of grass in tandem with the faint breeze. Lush green trees were scattered along the landscape and the stone path seemed to spread out in many directions as soon as it touched the ground after the hill. Almost every single corner that she looked at had a set of benches laying around and she noticed that it felt like they were the only people in that park as barely any people sat on them apart from a couple of stray people in the distance.

Yang had a small smile on her face as she never expected to enjoy the view as much as she did. The trip that she took in order to reach Mistral couldn't be any more worth it and it felt like she was sowing the fruits of her labor every single minute that she spent there. She was happy living in the moment along with her friends and the only thing that mattered to her right now was the fact that for the time that she spent with the people that she loved, a small part of the pain, no matter how little, had went away and that overjoyed her even more.

With all those realizations still floating in her mind, Yang decided to find the center of the park as she thought that it couldn't be that far from where she stood. She started to look around her field of view in order to get a small hint of where it could possibly be located. Times like these made her wish that she had a map just so that she could take in the view a little bit more and to lessen the work that she had to do in order to get some rest.

The blonde slowly turned her head to the right and it looked like they would have to ask for directions in order to make it to their destination. But a large tree that looked bigger than the ones scattered along the park immediately caught her attention and she squinted her eyes just to take a closer look at it. It was encircled by four benches and it had significantly more shade than the other trees which made it the ideal landmark to serve as the center of the park. But as Yang squinted her eyes to get a clearer view of the tree, she noticed something peculiar and every single warning signal within her went off and she already knew that something was wrong.

There were two figures that sat on one of the benches that encircled the tree. The large tree wasn't that far away from the hill but the sunlight made it harder for her to recognize their features in one go. But one thing she did know was that one was a boy and the other was a girl and the one thing that made her spine tingle and her skin have goosebumps was the fact that the girl looked so familiar and it scared her because of the remote possibility that it could be her old partner.

A cloud had blotted out the sun and it significantly lessened the amount of light that constricted her view. Yang was finally able to fully utilize her vision and everything finally looked clear for her to see. Her body had already started to make her realize that what she saw was something that would shake her down to the very core but a small sense of doubt was the only thing that gave her the courage to see what was truly below that shade.

But nothing could have ever prepared her for what she saw and Yang never thought that her emotions could cause her so much physical pain that it almost felt unbearable. Her heart started to beat at an inhuman rate and she could feel her ribs vibrating along with her heartbeat. Her legs started to feel weak and shaky and it felt like a single gust of wind could send her tumbling down into the ground. Her real arm had started to form a fist without her even knowing and the only thing that made Yang feel this change was the pain that she felt because of her nails digging down into her skin which caused small wounds to form in her palm.

So many emotions of both hatred and intense longing had caused Yang's whole body to deteriorate and the pain that it caused her was so severe that she felt like passing out and sleeping for a day just to get rid of every feeling that plagued her body. She couldn't believe that Blake, out of all of the people that she could ever see under that large tree on that park was the one to greet her eyes that day and Yang couldn't stand every single moment of it.

Her black flowing hair, her radiant smile, the amber eyes that Yang once admired dearly had caused her to feel both love and hate at the same time. On one side, Yang hated Blake with every single fiber of her being as she blamed her for every single misfortune that befell her ever since that cursed night. She wanted nothing more than to punish her for everything that she had done whether it be verbally berating her or even causing her harm if she was pushed over the edge.

But the one thing that made her feel pain all the more was the feeling of complete relief, longing, and love that she felt for the girl and the thought that she was only a few meters away from her. This side of Yang wanted to greet Blake with open arms, to cry on her shoulder and tell her that she missed her dearly, to finally tell her all of the emotions that she should have back in Beacon, to finally celebrate the one thing that the two of them could have had back then.

These conflicting emotions made Yang powerless to do anything and a state of absolute shock had caused her to be so indecisive that she just refused to move at all. She didn't know what to do anymore and she wished that someone would wake her up from the trance that she was in.

By the time this happened, Ruby and Weiss had already caught up to her as they also joined her on top of the hill. Smiles still plagued the two girls faces and the first thing that greeted the two of them as they set foot on the hill was the same thing that Yang saw which was the nice view that was right in front of them. The large cloud still covered the sun much to their convenience and Ruby along with Weiss was quick to appreciate what they saw as they didn't have the sunlight to bother them unlike Yang from earlier.

"Wow, this place looks so beautiful! How's the view from up there Ice Queen?" Ruby exclaimed delightfully.

"First of all, don't call me that. Second, it really is nice from up here" Weiss responded thoughtfully.

"You're welcome"

"Fine, you did well Ruby. Thanks for doing this for me" Weiss replied tenderly as she placed a caring hand on top of Ruby's head and caressed her gently.

"See, I like the more gentle and caring Weiss rather than the cold and grumpy one" Ruby told Weiss teasingly.

"Well if you didn't act like such a dolt all the time you'd get to see this side of me even more"

"You do know that you're stuck with me right? You could have left me if you wanted because of how annoying I am but you still chose to be with me. Who's the real dolt after all" Ruby told her triumphantly.

"I guess there's room for two idiots in this relationship" Weiss replied.

"I agree" Ruby told her with a smile.

The two ended their conversation and the immediate silence that followed after had made them realize that Yang hadn't spoken a word ever since they reached the top of the hill. It bugged them a little bit as Yang couldn't possibly be that quiet in response to their arrival and they were most certainly sure that the view could have at least incited a reaction from her. Weiss started to put her feet back down into the ground as her deal with Ruby had finally ended. And by the looks of it, things had started to take a more serious tone than she would ever expect.

"Hey Yang, how's the view?" Ruby asked Yang directly.

The blonde didn't utter a single word in response to her sister and this made both Ruby and Weiss feel slightly concerned for Yang. But it wouldn't be reasonable for them to jump to conclusions and Weiss thought that Yang must've phased out for a second and she decided to re-evaluate the situation as she asked her another question and see if she would respond or not.

"What's the matter, cat got your tongue? You're awfully quiet compared to earlier you know"

Even with the small joke that Weiss tried to insert into her question it still failed in making Yang budge and by that point, both Ruby and Weiss were now worried about Yang and that concern made them more observant and they quickly noticed one thing about Yang that made them panic and worried about her even more.

Upon closer inspection, the two girls noticed that Yang trembled uncontrollably and they somehow felt a faint heat radiating from her. Ruby and Weiss could feel a small sense of fear because of all these signs that Yang showed and they needed to do something about her current state before things could escalate to something serious or even dangerous.

Ruby placed a hand on Yang's shoulder in order to grab her attention. But as soon as her hand came in contact with her shoulder, she felt a sharp pain coursing through the palm of her hand and she bounced back in response to the sudden pain that she felt due to the intense heat that ran along the surface of Yang's body. Ruby's hand got burned to the point that it started to turn crimson and swell and upon seeing this, Weiss immediately rushed to her aid and she checked on the injury that Ruby had attained.

"That really hurt!" Ruby uttered rapidly as she waved her hand around to get rid of the burning sensation.

"What did you do, did you make her angry or something?" Weiss asked urgently.

"I don't know what's wrong Weiss, but we need to get to the bottom of this"

Ruby decided to ignore the pain that she felt on her right hand and she decided to immobilize it for a little bit just so she couldn't add to the pain that she already felt. They both decided that getting too close to Yang at that point would be too dangerous for them but they needed a way to communicate with her at that state so they both walked over towards Yang's field of vision just so she could acknowledge their presence and get to the bottom of what had just happened.

Yang's trembling had started to worsen and rapid breathing had added on to her current symptoms. Both Ruby and Weiss carefully approached Yang from the side and they noticed that her head was slightly inclined to the right. They wanted to console Yang or at least get some information on why she felt that way and the two wished that they could at least fulfil one of these hopes when they could see each other eye to eye.

But upon seeing the look that Yang had on her face and the situation that her body was currently in, Ruby and Weiss couldn't help but draw breaths of shock as their eyes finally saw what Yang's current state was.

Emotion was the main factor that drove Yang's semblance and its activation could be seen through the change in her lilac eyes. There were only two things that one could see whenever they would look at Yang's eyes and they were either a look of pure innocence and kindness through her plain and radiant eyes. But the one look that most people never wanted to see was the one that was only full of rage and intent to destroy everything that was on her path. But this was a different look that neither Ruby, Weiss, or anyone had seen throughout the years that Yang lived in this world.

What shocked both Ruby and Weiss was the fact that Yang neither had her set of beautiful lilac eyes or her pair of fierce and destructive crimson ones. But instead, they were greeted with a mixture of two as her right eye was filled with fire and brimstone but her left eye was as tranquil as it could be and retained the bright hue that her usual eyes had.

But the one thing that her two eyes shared was the fact that they were both drenched in tears. Yang sobbed quietly to herself as she started off into the distance and this made Ruby and Weiss panic indefinitely and they both went into damage control mode and see if they could do anything about Yang's condition.

"Yang, what's wrong?! Does anything hurt, are you mad or anything?!" Ruby spat out rapidly, hoping to get a fast response from Yang in return.

"Yang, you need to tell us what's happening to you. This isn't good for you and you're going to hurt yourself or somebody else if you continue this!" Weiss barked at Yang but neither one of their questions garnered a response from Yang.

Yang's sobs got louder and louder as more tears started to drop down her cheeks. Ruby and Weiss felt a sense of pity for Yang as she looked like she was in a world of pain and the problem was that they had absolutely no idea on how to help her recover from her current condition. Yang also wanted to receive help from her friends but the pain that her body was currently in was too much to handle and her mind was completely rattled to the point that she couldn't think of a single thought that didn't have Blake in it.

With all of the strength that she could muster aided by her being transfixed on only one thing at that time, Yang could only utter one name and she was able to blurt it out quickly despite all of the pain that she felt and her whole body basically shutting down by that point.

"Bl... BLAKE!" Yang managed to make out despite her current state and amidst the loud sobs that she made.

The sudden mention of their old partner made Ruby and Weiss understand the situation a little bit better since they finally had a sense of what was happening inside of Yang's head. They both knew that Yang still had problems with Blake and they knew that she had conflicting feelings regarding the girl. But despite that knowledge, they never knew the extent of what Yang had harboured within her and it saddened the two of them that neither Ruby or Weiss was able to console the girl despite the many opportunities that they had.

"Yang, what about Blake?" Ruby tried to ask but this time with a more somber tone without the tinge of panic that it had earlier.

"Do you miss her? Do you want to see her again?" Weiss added copying Ruby's tone of voice.

But none of their questions managed to console Yang in any way as her sobbing didn't stop and her eyes never changed to either fully red or full purple. Things were currently bad and the two of them didn't want things to escalate any further. The only thing that they could do was to look at Yang from where they stood as they couldn't do anything to help her or even calm her down from her panicked and depressed state.

But Weiss' eyes picked up on something that she noticed from Yang's eyes and she managed to realize something after her previous observations from Yang. Neither her or Ruby saw Yang look away from something in the distance and even as she continued to stare at Yang she noticed that she didn't pay any attention to her or Ruby and this made her wonder on what Yang gazed at from a distance.

Upon discovering this, Weiss immediately bought it to Ruby's attention as she thought that it was something that could lead them to the right path of helping Yang out.

"Ruby, it looks like she's staring at something in the distance"

"Well, what do you think it is?" Ruby asked.

"We need to find out. She's looking to her right so we might as well check the area and see if something might've triggered her to enter this state"

Ruby nodded her head quickly in agreement as they immediately turned around to the direction that Yang stared off into and they quickly trained their eyes over the landscape of that side of the park. Nothing seemed to catch their eyes upon their initial inspection but Ruby's senses were trained enough to see through large distances and she was quick to notice the two distinct figures that were perched under the shade of a large tree.

To see the two figures further, Ruby squinted her eyes so she could focus them on one particular spot and she was able to immediately get a clear image of who the person under the tree was. Her heart suddenly amplified its beat and she managed to let out a gasp of disbelief because of the person that she suddenly gazed her eyes upon. Everything had started to make sense, from Yang being in a completely broken down state and the mention of her dear partner's name, it was no denying that the person that Ruby saw under the tree was Blake while she also noticed that Sun accompanied her underneath.

Adrenaline had started to pump through Ruby's whole body and her old energetic self had started to manifest as she quickly jolted over to Weiss' side, ready to spread the news of what she had suddenly discovered and the need to quickly channel the energy that she had into rushing off towards Blake in her top speed.

"WEISS! YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHO I JUST SAW!" Ruby screamed directly towards Weiss.

"Ruby why are you screaming?! And what do you mean that you saw someone?" Weiss asked, clearly mad at Ruby because of her sudden screaming that clearly jolted Weiss awake.

"There under the tree! Look who it is!" Ruby pointed her finger towards the large tree excitingly.

Weiss easily traced the direction that Ruby tried to draw with the finger that she pointed and she easily spotted the large tree that Ruby had mentioned. Weiss couldn't believe her eyes as she never expected that she would get to see Blake ever again and what made her even more shocked was out of all the places that they could see Blake was the exact place that they were meant to go.

They both knew that Blake was the root of what was ailing Yang at the moment. The only option that they had left in order to find a solution for the problem that they faced was to confront their old teammate immediately and settle the differences that both Yang and her still had. Maybe that way, Yang could at least calm down for a little bit and return to a much more stable state.

Ruby looked over to Weiss with a sense of urgency. They needed to do this now more than ever and time was currently of the essence. Ruby offered her hand to Weiss and the white haired girl took it immediately. There was no more time to waste as they needed to contain this situation before it could get any worse.

"Weiss, we need to get Blake to Yang immediately"

"I know. I just hope that Yang can cage whatever is inside her right now" Weiss told Ruby.

"Me too" Ruby replied with much concern.

Ruby and Weiss immediately let their feet fly as they rushed over towards Blake in full speed as they barreled down the downhill slope that lead directly towards Blake. This was another surprise that they never expected to happen for that day and things kept getting more and more interesting than what they had hoped for.

"BLAKE!" The two girls screamed at the top of their lungs as they ran towards their long lost friend.

* * *

 **Well, I'm not going to make any excuses and just tell you guys upfront that I got a little bit lazy and preoccupied by a lot of things throughout writing this chapter. Video games and sleep were my priority throughout my more stressful weeks in school so I spent a good two weeks worth of time barely writing anything and just doing something else or sleeping when I wanted. To be honest, I think the majority of this chapter only took a good two nights to write so I think that this would have been released much much earlier if I actually made it a priority.**

 **That being said, my schedule is about to free up for a little bit starting next week so maybe I can finally stop being lazy and write long chapters again. Just a maybe though. Also, because of the long down time that I took from writing this story, my skills might be a little bit rusty and I think that it shows on some of the parts of this chapter so I'll have to apologize for that.**

 **With those things finally addressed, I would like to thank you all because the story has finally reached 10k views! That's amazing for me because I never thought that this story would get that much traction. I just started this story for fun and to give myself some closure with this ship. But somehow it managed to reach these kinds of numbers and I can't be more thankful for your support.**

 **I'll try to write on a more constant basis as I start the next chapter as I want to continue improving the quality of this story. I want the next few parts to be as good as they can be and I hope that you stay for the things that are about to come.**

 **As always, thank you for taking your time in reading this story and reviews are very much appreciated. Until next time!**


	24. Chapter 24

Being swept off of one's feet can be a very unique experience that can vary from person to person. Some may feel hot all over their body and some might even feel that they become weightless and the smallest touch could send them flying up into the air. But for Blake Belladonna, this feeling manifested within her by her brain completely blocking everything out besides the one person that swept her off her feet in the first place.

Not a single cohesive thought entered Blake's mind and the only information that her brain could gather was the words that Sun spoke to her as she observed his every move. She was so transfixed by his actions that she couldn't even tell the difference between the sky and the ground beneath them. Her brain refused to process anything around her but that didn't make Blake panic at all. In fact, she was thankful that all of her attention was focused on Sun and nothing could break the spell that she was under much to her liking.

Things were shaky between the two of them earlier that day. Certain issues regarding their relationship had come up once again and this caused a heated discussion between the two of them. It went up to the point that Blake almost lost faith for the two of them and it didn't help that Sun seemed to feel the same way. But that argument lead to something much more beautiful and Sun did the unexpected and saved her whole day by doing a complete one-eighty which caught Blake by surprise and made her feelings much more profound much like how Sun was at the moment.

It's hard to change one's mindset completely and it's difficult to acknowledge that it takes time for a person to completely change their outlook on a situation or issue. But Sun had managed to pull off something that would be hard for others and that was to turn back from his old beliefs and fears and turn over into a new leaf just to please Blake and to come up with a solution for something that has gnawed at the back of their minds ever since they started their relationship together. Sun had completely removed all of the doubts that Blake hated and it looked like the only path that they could take was forward.

Every single promise that Sun made to her while they sat under the dim shade had made Blake's heart flutter and her blush grow even bigger because of how much she grew feelings for him. Sun emphasized the thought about not being afraid of what they could lose, but instead looking forward to what they could gain and have at the moment. He also mentioned his contested feelings about Yang and how it relates to their relationship together. But this time, he had a more positive and confident outlook regarding his feelings about Yang and Sun considered her more of a challenge rather than an instant defeat that he would suffer when both Blake and her would meet once again.

All these things had added up and morphed into one big remedy for Blake's ailing heart. She couldn't be any more happier for the two of them but most importantly for Sun himself. She was happy to see that she wasn't the only one who finally decided to grow because of their relationship and Blake was glad to see that Sun had started the road to recovery that Blake once took and she was proud of herself that Sun had also decided to tread that path.

And to make things all the more sweeter, a kiss accompanied all of the pleasant words and promises that Blake had given her and this served as one of the best things that she had received from a person in a very long time. Blake started to feel hot all over because of the intense aura of emotions that circulated between the two of them and the one thing that she hoped for was that Sun also felt the same so that she wouldn't feel so embarrassed about herself.

After pulling out of the tender kiss that they shared, Blake thought that everything was all clear and settled. She was already content with how things turned out and the only thing that she was anticipating to happen was for Sun and her to finally meet the guests that he had told her about earlier that morning and she hoped that they would be able to enjoy the rest of the day together.

But not everything was as it seemed. From out of the blue, Sun suddenly bought something to Blake's attention that made her curious about what Sun had meant.

"By the way, you owe me a question of my own. You've asked me so many so at least give me something for it"

"Fine, I'll humor you this one time just because I'm in a good mood"

"I've got to warn you though, this will get a little bit intense or maybe a little bit awkward"

"Oh, it's one of those kinds of questions , isn't it?"

"Hey, if you don't want to I won't ask you the question. It's just something that I want to do if you're okay with it too"

"Why not, I owe you one anyway so just ask"

"Before I ask, I've got to tell you that there are a lot of maybe's with this question. Maybe it's stupid, maybe it's too fast, maybe I'm just insane, or maybe just maybe, it's the right thing to do"

"What is it about anyway?"

As Sun went on to allude to a question that he wanted to ask Blake, she faintly felt her heartbeat kick into gear for no rhyme or reason. Somehow, she felt anxiety within her just because of how fishy Sun seemed to act towards the question that he wanted to ask. But it wasn't a negative feeling as there was no reason for her to feel that way. Sun was completely back to his normal self and the only thing that she could get out of his current tone and attitude was nothing but positivity and good vibes. But no matter how much things should be joyous and comforting, she couldn't shake off the steadily increasing heartbeat that she had and a pit forming on her stomach.

Sun scooted closer to her and that did nothing but make Blake's symptoms of anxiety get worse and worse. Her heartbeat had amped up its speed in such a way that she could feel her neck throbbing because of her rapid pulse. Her hands started to get clammy and she could feel sweat coming out from various pores from her body. Blake tried to subconsciously wake her brain up to get rid of the intense feeling of nervousness that she had but doing so had just managed to make things worse. She started to ask questions to herself just to assure her that everything was going to be fine.

"Is he going to ask me if I'm still in love with Yang?"

"How about asking for one more kiss?"

"Maybe he wants to do _the thing_?"

The whimsical questions that flew around Blake's mind had started to become more and more ridiculous as she continued to rack her brain on what she should expect. Nothing could ease her mind at that point and a hundred more questions had raced across her mind in light speed.

But in one moment of clarity, there was one thought that randomly popped out off Blake's mind and it was something that was so absurd and plausible at the same time that the thought that she suddenly found made the most sense out of all of the junk that littered her mind.

"Maybe, he's going to propose!?" Blake thought to herself.

For a split second, Blake's whole body tensed up because of the sudden shock and nervousness that swept across her whole body. She didn't know why she was so attracted to the whole idea of Sun magically proposing to her with no preparations whatsoever and the rational side of her wouldn't accept that idea even though it bought so much calm to her psyche.

She didn't want to believe it, not a single bit. Blake didn't want to lure herself to a trap that she willingly set up for herself just to fall into a huge pit of disappointment. Because the truth was, if Sun did manage to pop her the question, she wouldn't mind it a single bit. In fact, it was one of the only outcomes that she wanted to happen and not something so emotional compared to the bleak conversation that she had earlier.

They were already done with the drama, so some part of Blake wanted to feel something magical. Something that could sweep her off her feet once again but this time for good. Something that could carry her away and make her feel something that she had never experienced before. And as Sun grew ever so close to her, this thought managed to resonate within Blake and made her body jolt in excitement and anticipation to what Sun truly had in mind.

"Blake, I need to ask you something important and you only need to answer with a yes or a no"

The question that Sun wanted to ask Blake had already commenced and Blake grew anxious by the minute. Already, the first thing that Sun had bought to her attention was that it was a yes or no question and that managed to reinforce her absurd idea of Sun proposing to her. But Blake didn't falter so easily and she just dismissed this to being purely coincidence. But she couldn't deny that some small part of her heart became excited because of this and made her pay more attention to Sun and be wary of his words.

"Just get on with it. Neptune and the others are going to catch us red handed if you don't move fast" Blake reminded him hastily as she didn't want Sun's revelation to be abruptly disrupted by their friends finally reaching them and robbing Blake of finally finding out what was behind the curtain that Sun had laid out.

"Fine, here it goes. Blake Belladonna, you're the first girl that I loved and will ever love for the rest of my life. So Blake-" Sun trailed off slightly as he subtly reached over to something in his pocket that Blake was quick to notice.

Every single part of Blake was being overwhelmed about what was currently unfolding right before her eyes. Everything that Sun had done and alluded to had eliminated every possible absurd outcome that she thought of except for the proposal theory that she had in mind. She tried to convince herself that things were not what they seemed as Blake tried to find a semblance of rational thought that could come up with a situation that could disprove her suspicions.

But as she sat there with Sun tenderly staring into her eyes and her doing the same, some force within her just settled without any second thoughts and convinced her to do nothing but brace herself. Fate was the only thing that could decide what would happen between the two of them and it could either be something as simple as a silly question, or something truly special that could finally set their love in stone.

Blake was going to be happy that day no matter what, they were able to rekindle the fire that both Sun and her had. She couldn't be any more thankful for that and this conversation between the two of them would leave a content smile on both of their faces. But the outcome that she preferred would give her a much more wider a smile and a tear or two.

"Will you-"

Upon hearing those first two words, Blake's heart had suddenly exploded in glee and her tongue had already started to move and form a "yes" that almost slipped past her tongue. There was no more debate within her mind, Sun was about to ask her the single most important question in her life and before he could even ask, she already had an answer and it was the most resounding "yes" that she would ever give to someone for the rest of her life.

The chance of being interrupted for this one moment that she would cherish for the rest of her life was so low and comical that it occurring at that fateful moment would seem like the most clichéd thing that one could dream of. It was the last thing that Blake wanted to happen and it felt like her moment was stolen away from her as she and Sun heard two high-pitched voiced come from afar and call her name.

Blake almost didn't want to believe that they were interrupted at the most vital point in their conversation. She thought that maybe it was just her brain acting up because of the pent up excitement that she had accumulated within her. But the infuriating truth was that her name was actually called out because she noticed that Sun stopped moving completely and looked at something behind her.

The smile that Sun had became a little bit smaller upon setting his eyes on the two figures that were behind Blake's back. She could make out a small trace of disappointment in his eyes but Blake could tell that the smile that he had was still genuine. Blake was a little bit frustrated because of the sudden interruption that befell the two of them and it felt like it was the worst cliff hanger of her life. But before Blake could do something to continue their conversation, Sun suddenly spoke up and addressed the voices that called out Blake's name.

"Well, I guess that they're here now" Sun told her with a fleeting smile.

"What do you mean, who's here?"

"Let's just say that they're the other _friends_ that I mentioned earlier"

Blake continued to hear her voice being called from afar but the volume steadily increased without fail. And as it grew louder and more audible, her ears started to pick up a faint familiarity with the two tones that she could distinguish and two very familiar faces came to mind when she started to deduce the two voices that she heard.

"This isn't possible"

Blake told herself as she realized that the two people that she related the voices to were both Ruby and Weiss. But even though her ears told her that they were the two girls calling out to her, her mind thought that it simply wasn't possible for the two girls to be at Mistral because of the circumstances that there team faced in the past.

Upon hearing this, Sun was quick to disapprove her hesitance to acknowledge the reality that Ruby and Weiss was standing right behind her and that the only thing that she needed to do in order for that reality to come true was to look directly behind her and see for herself.

"Blake, look behind you. Because it's the reason why we went here in the first place"

"Who is it?" Blake asked with a little tinge of fear because of the possible encounter that she may face that faithful day.

"It's your favorite Red rose and lovely Ice queen of course. Look behind you and see for yourself!" Sun replied with much excitement for the reunion that the three girls were about to have.

With a trembling heart, Blake clutched her chest in order to mitigate her intensely beating chest. She couldn't stand upright at that moment as the thought of seeing the two people that she treated as her second family face to face gave her nothing but shame for herself as she didn't know what their thoughts were regarding her leaving them and she didn't want to see the looks of hatred on their faces if they really did truly resent her.

But as the two high pitched screams continue to hit their stride, Blake didn't get any sign of either hate or disdain. Instead, the two voices were filled with energy, urgency, and excitement all at the same time and that had managed to latch on to her and give her a little bit of strength to conquer the fears that she had and in one fell swoop, Blake turned quickly behind her back without any single thought in order to calm herself down.

And true to his word, the two familiar figures of a white haired girl and the once small brunette that she once looked up to as a leader had steadily started to grow bigger and bigger as they ran across the open space that separated them. Blake had laid her eyes on both Weiss and Ruby who were both hot on her trail. She didn't know whether or not to flee, to go down on her knees and beg for their forgiveness, or to just simply come up to them with open arms and give them the biggest hug that she could ever make with her two arms.

All of this indecision had been swept clean as Blake shed a single tear for the sight that made her know that things were going to be okay, she saw two bright smiles across Ruby and Weiss' faces and those two things had managed to light up her whole life and filled her with happiness for finally getting the opportunity to meet with the most important girls in her life.

Blake decided that she didn't want to spend any more time sitting idly by and it was time for her to make an effort to minimize the distance between them. But what she didn't realize that the two of them were already in their top speed and that they were barrelling down towards her with intense speed. The image of both Ruby and Weiss had exponentially grown in a matter of a few seconds and before she knew it, some force had managed to knock her down into the ground with a loud thud as she felt two hot bodies on top of her .

"BLAKE, IT'S REALLY YOU!" Ruby screamed in the highest tone that her voice could physically produce.

"Where did you go you numbskull, we've been worried sick ever since you dissapeared!"

"Ruby, Weiss! Is it really you two?!" Blake asked, trying as hard as she could to accept the reality of both Ruby and Weiss being right on top of her.

"Of course it's us! Don't you know how long we've been dying to see you, what happened to you anyway?" Ruby asked hastily.

"Look guys, it's a long story. But it's a story that I'm willing to tell if you guys want to" Blake replied.

As this moment unfolded, Sun watched over it with his own two eyes. On one side, his heart still throbbed rapidly because of the leftover adrenaline from the unplanned proposal that was untimely interrupted by the two girls that appeared from out of nowhere. He was disappointed in a way because he wasn't able to commit to his plan to cement their relationship together but he couldn't entirely be sad because as he saw things at the moment, Blake couldn't be any more happier being able to see her two friends again and he didn't want to hold anything against her for relishing her friends because that was the reason why they went to the park anyway.

But something clicked within Sun's mind that made the scene in front of him the least important thing that he had on his mind. From the information that he received from Neptune, EVERY member of team RWBY was supposed to be there that day and Yang was certainly no exception in that matter. And upon realizing that Yang was nowhere near in sight and that he couldn't feel or hear any footsteps approaching them, Sun decided to look around and see where the rest of their party was at and see if something was wrong that he needed to tend to.

Sun stood up from the bench that he sat on while trying to stave off any attention that he might draw from the three girls. But by the looks of it, the three of them were so eager to meet each other that the only thing that they could focus on was each other. People were already scarce within the park and that made it easier for Sun to survey the area and check for the rest of the people that joined Ruby and Weiss. And as Sun squinted his eyes and zoomed into the distance, he finally noticed a faint brightness coming from the hill that Ruby and Weiss barrelled down from.

It felt as if his whole throat suddenly plummeted down towards his stomach as Sun saw Yang, staring over at Blake, Ruby, and Weiss with so much intent and intensity that even he was intimidated by the looks that she gave off. This worried Sun a lot as he knew that there was a possibility that a huge commotion can happen if he didn't step up to see if there was a problem or not. So as discretely and as fast as his legs could carry him, Sun proceeded to rush towards the top of the hill in order to confront Yang before things could escalate.

Sun felt like all of the air within his body had exited his system and the intense need for air had started to overtake him as he approached the peak of the hill. But as he got closer to the top, all of the worries that he had for himself were quickly disregarded as Sun saw that his physical state should be the least of his worries. Yang was completely distraught and paralyzed by her own feelings and Sun could feel all of her emotions seeping out from her. He was shocked to see that neither one of her eyes shared the same color as he never saw that happen to her for the ample amount of time that they shared together.

Some residual heat also started to make their way towards Sun and as he felt the warm sensation that Yang gave off, he knew that things weren't going to be pretty and he needed to do something about it fast. In a matter of a few more footsteps, Sun had finally reached the top of the hill and he was now face to face with Yang. But even though he already made his presence known, it was clear that Yang had no intention of wasting her attention on him and her eyes were still clearly locked at Blake and the rest of her teammates.

From the corner of his eye, Sun noticed that Jaune, Ren, Nora, and even Qrow held themselves back from Yang. They all had concern in their eyes for the blonde girl but he could tell that deep in those eyes, there was a small hint of fear that he didn't want to acknowledge as that meant the situation was as dire as he thought. As much as he was happy to see his old friends from beacon once again, all the formalities had to wait for later as she had Yang to deal with and this wasn't a small task that anyone could easily deal with.

To decrease the chance of pushing Yang over the edge, Sun decided to take a more normal approach to try and ease her nerves. He thought that maybe he could pull Yang out from the state that she entered if he acted normally and maybe he could talk some sense into Yang without causing anyone harm and at this point, he was the number one candidate to get hurt .

"What's up blondie, it's nice to see someone other than myself sporting some natural yellow locks" Sun greeted while trying to make the most genuine smile that he could.

Silence greeted him in return as not even his simple greeting was met with anything substantial from the blonde girl. The mere uncertainty of how the situation may unfold caused enough concern to the rest of Jaune and his friends to make them try and act amidst Yang's current unstable state. All three of them along with Qrow had started to take a step forward in order to join Sun in his efforts to control Yang. But a prompt signal from Sun's hand caused them all to halt their movement. Sun clearly wanted to handle this situation alone as to not cause any harm to Yang and to any single one of them.

Sun tried to push his luck in exchange for the feeling of normalcy by placing his hand on top of Yang's shoulder. He felt a considerable amount of heat being felt by his hand but Sun never flinched just to keep things watered down as possible. But he knew very well that this couldn't continue any further and he took a much more direct approach to get things over with before they could get out of hand.

"Come on Yang, not here. She'll talk to you and she's not going to leave anymore" Sun uttered as calmly as he could.

Upon hearing this, Yang jittered a little bit and Sun noticed that her body reacted to what he had just said through small tremors. He didn't know whether or not it was good or bad but at least he was given the information that he could still get Yang out from the paralysis that plagued her.

Jaune, Ren, and Nora along with the now speechless Qrow were watching the scene from the side with faded breath. Every single word that Sun uttered felt like cutting a bomb wire in an effort to diffuse it. They didn't know whether or not he was actually doing some good or actually worsening their situation. But he was the only hope that they got and any effort for them to step in could lead Yang to finally implode.

From out of nowhere, the four of them heard hushed footsteps that rapidly approached them from behind. They decided to take a look on who caused these footsteps and this promptly made them look behind their backs to see who it was. Incidentally, Neptune along with the other members of team SSSN had finally arrived to the scene without knowing that they were actually late for the party.

"So, what did we miss!" Neptune called from afar.

His words were met with a harsh shush from Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Qrow. This made Neptune recoil back in shock because of the sharp response that he met. He decided to shut up for the time being and sped up in order to meet up with Qrow and get a clear explanation on why they acted so vaguely.

"What's the matter, something happen?" Neptune asked.

"Pipe down you idiot! Sun's trying to diffuse the atomic blonde and it's not really going in our favor okay?!"

"Well what happened?!" Neptune asked frantically but with a more hush tone as he saw Sun and Yang in the corner of his eye.

"As you know, Blake's finally here and I guess Yang got a little sneak peek before we could break the news to her" Qrow responded.

"So what do we do now?" Scarlet chimed in to the conversation.

"Now we wait. Let's just hope that your friend is smooth with all of the ladies" Qrow replied.

Sun needed to do something drastic to snap Yang out from her trance. He knew that he needed to say something to trigger some sort of emotion from her to balance her out once again. Because by the look of her eyes, it seemed like she was plagued by indecision between her emotions and he needed to do something to offset this balance whether good or bad just to make her mind functional again. It was time for him to risk it all and he braced himself for any result that may come out from the following words that he was about to say.

"Yang, it's okay. She's not going to leave you anymore. You know that she loves you-"

And in just a split second, Sun heard a loud bang followed by his ears ringing along with the feeling of dizziness. Some force had managed to affect his body and it happened so fast that his mind was still trying to process what it was. The whole world had started to move in slow motion and the only thing that Sun could move where his eyes. He could only imagine the reaction that his face made upon seeing the horror that unfolded right before him. Yang's eyes had completely turned red and her mouth had managed to form a fierce snarl that embodied all of the rage that she had.

But to make matters worse, Sun could feel progressive pain coming from his abdomen and it started to burn like hell by the second. The adrenaline that started to flow through his body had masked the initial pain that the impact of Yang's fist caused in tandem with Ember Celica had caused to his body. The sheer power that Yang put on that single strike had managed to completely deplete his aura while also causing vital damage to his body.

As the pain continued to get worse, Sun knew that his body couldn't take the sensation for any longer and knew that he was about to pass out. He felt his whole body collapse under the pressure of the pain that he felt and all of this happened in a painfully slow manner. There was nothing he could do anymore and it was all up to them. Feelings of remorse was the last thing that plagued Sun's mind. He wasn't able to save Yang from being eaten up by the anger inside of her and that was the last thing that he wanted Blake to see.

Looks of shock came across the whole audience to Sun and Yang's exchange and the immediate shock if the situation had just started to sink in to them and made them delay their thoughts and actions. Yang was finally conscious and her body was finally moving normal again but her face showed no trace of any sanity or mercy for anyone on her path. Jaune felt the aura that Yang gave off and it gave him so much fear that it incited him to draw his weapon which was then followed by both Ren and Nora along with Neptune and his friends.

But Qrow didn't do such thing. He knew that none of them didn't intend to harm Yang in any way so revealing his weapon would be futile. The only thing that he could fight with was with words and he decided to do so even though it felt like nothing could sate the bloodlust that Yang had in her eyes.

"Yang stop this right now, it doesn't have to be this way!" Qrow shouted at the top of his lungs.

"BLAAAAAKKKEEEEEE!" Yang wailed loudly as her screams travel across the plains and reverberated along Qrow and company's ears.

The loud bang that came with Ember Celica being fired by Yang had attracted the attention of the three girls and had reminded both Ruby and Weiss that they had an urgent situation that they needed to take care off. It looked like Yang had finally lost control and this made the sense of urgency return within the two girls and prompted them to bring Blake up to speed to the current situation that they had.

"What was that noise?" Blake asked with complete uncertainty.

"Blake we need to go now, we have to save Yang!" Ruby told her in a state of panic.

"She really needs your help right now Blake. You're the only one who can ease her anger from getting out of control" Weiss added in.

Yang's name being uttered right in front of her had sent images of the blonde girl flashing through her eyes. She didn't want to believe that even Yang, out of all of the people that she could meet that day was actually there and she was finally given the chance to mend the wounds that they both attained by her leaving. And by the looks of it, she had to face Yang at her worst and the current state of their reunion was as dramatic as it could be.

Suddenly, their ears had managed to ring because of the wailing screams that came from the distance. A sudden gust of fear had run up Blake's spine and the same could be said to both Ruby and Weiss. Yang had started to call out to Blake with so much pain and anger to the point that Blake tried to muster up all of the courage that she had just to convince herself to stand her ground.

But Blake had already decided, she already ran away from Yang once and she was never going to make the same mistake again. This was the price that she needed to pay in order to be forgiven for her sins and she couldn't have asked for a more better way to make up for her wrong doings by doing the one thing that she was never able to do in the past and that was to save Yang from the danger that she was in.

"Guys, bring me to her. I'll bring her back to us" Blake requested calmly with a weak smile.

Ruby and Weiss tried to be positive about the situation and also mimicked the smile that Blake had on her face. They both knew that they had their old teammate back once again and the only thing that they wanted to do was to make up for the lost time that was robbed from them. But that was to be reserved for later as they needed to proceed to the climax that was about to happen. Better known as the fated encounter between Yang and Blake.

Being tired was a non-factor for their current situation as Blake ran to the best of her abilities along with Weiss while Ruby used her semblance in order to cover the ground at a much more faster rate than she would if she also ran. In just a few seconds, Ruby had already reached the peak of the hill and a look of shock had swept across his face as she immediately realized how dire the situation was.

Sun's unconscious body was laying on the ground and she saw the large bruise that his abdomen had suffered. A large area of his body had a dark purple color to it which attested to the power that Yang gave with a single strike and some bleeding had also occurred because of it. Sun was lucky enough to have enough aura to protect himself from a fatal wound. But if even a small amount of it didn't react to Yang's blow, then Sun would have suffered a much more severe wound that could have caused him to die on the spot.

Neptune and the rest of his friends had quickly tended to their leader and did everything that they could in order to stabilize his condition. They put him in a steady position as to avoid further damage because of movement and monitored his vitals every single second.

But as soon as Ruby had finished observing Sun's condition, she couldn't control the panic that had started to set within her as she saw her own sister being treated like a monster by their very own friends. Jaune, Ren, Nora, and Qrow had made the effort to grapple Yang in both her arms and legs to at least immobilize her. Yang's body had started to tremble and her body was strong enough to completely hold down the four other people that tried to control her. The residual heat that came out of Yang's body also spelled bad news for the four of them as it made it all the more painful for them to sustain their grip on Yang's body.

"Ruby, I hope that you and Weiss have a good plan for this!" Jaune screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Don't worry, Blake is on her way!" Ruby responded with urgency.

"Are you sure that she can fix this!? It doesn't look like a fairy tale kiss can wake this princess up!" Nora shouted.

The makeshift bonds that they had made with their bodies stood no chance against Yang's rage as she exerted force using her body enough to knock down all four of them while also making Ruby stumble behind her just because of the sheer force that Yang gave out. Her sister had made one more painful call for Blake's name and before Ruby knew it, Yang blasted off and headed down the hill in order to meet Blake face to face.

Weiss and Blake could already see the peak of the hill as they ran and the loud scream that Yang had once again made had raised their nervousness even higher. But they both made a complete stop as they heard the iconic gunfire that came from Yang's two weapons and that didn't spell any good news for them. And what came soon after was both the most frightening and most relieving image that Blake ever saw with her own two eyes.

Yang had started to blast off towards her in ungodly speeds. She obviously used the momentum from Ember Celica to launch herself towards Blake. The two crimson eyes that Yang had stared down into her soul and called for every single inch of her to be destroyed by her own two arms. It looked like Yang had every intent to kill her right then and there and Blake knew very well that she needed to clash with Yang to save the two of them. But deep down inside, Blake could feel comfort by knowing that the one girl that she wanted to cherish was alive and well and there was a chance that she could reconcile with her with one saving act.

Blake pulled out Gambol Shroud on reaction because of her instincts kicking into high gear. Yang was only a mere few inches away from her and she could easily cover that distance in less of a second. In order to slow her down, Blake used her blue dust round to create a copy of herself made out of ice. She swiftly traded places with it while she vaulted backwards to avoid impact against Yang. This happened in just the nick of time as an explosion followed by immense amount of steam followed Yang's impact against the ice clone that she made.

The mist obstructed Blake's view and she couldn't get a clear look at Yang's current position. But she didn't have to wait long as two more gunshots came out of nowhere and the blonde was once again hot in her tracks. Blake knew that she couldn't do the same move again but in an effort slow Yang down, she fired a couple shots with her gun towards Yang. She didn't have any intention to hurt her but Blake knew that Yang could handle her bullets and it would just serve as a distraction for her.

Even with the speed that Blake's bullets possessed, Yang was able to react to them almost instantaneously even amidst her blind rage and used the recoil of Ember Celica to launch herself upwards and dodge the bullets that came her way. Yang had an opportunity to strike Blake down because of her position in the air and she fired Ember Celica behind her to launch towards Blake.

A small sidestep was the only thing that Blake could do as Yang finally landed on the ground where she once stood and a crater appeared because of the punch that Yang landed on the ground. But even though Blake had managed to dodge the powerful blow, the force that it made had shook the ground and made Blake's recovery become delayed as she stumbled about. This gave Yang the opportunity to recover before Blake could and she now started the onslaught of punches that Blake needed to avoid at all costs.

With her amped up reflexes, Yang turned around and ran towards Blake with her right fist prepared to directly strike Blake. All the while she screamed Blake's name from the top of her lungs. Yang finally threw the first punch that she could make and Blake was overwhelmed by the sudden speed of Yang's punch and the only action that she could respond with was to make an awkward dodge as she continued to fumble around. She felt a gust of wind blow across her face as she narrowly avoided Yang's right arm. But no rest was awarded to her as Yang followed up with her left arm aiming directly for Blake's head.

Blake had finally recovered from her vulnerable state and all the strength that she had on her feet had finally returned. But she was about to be tested once again as she made a step to her left in order to dodge the sharp jab that came her way. Blake had avoided the brunt of Yang's strike but she wasn't quick enough to get away from the gunfire that accompanied Yang's blow. The blast had caught her right cheek and it started to bleed because of it.

A small window of opportunity was granted to Blake as she was able to successfully dodge Yang's attack even with the injury that she sustained. In order to alleviate the pressure away from her and create some distance between them, Blake leaped towards Yang legs first and vaulted against her whole body with as much force as she could while leveraging her own weight. This was enough to knock Yang down into the ground while launching Blake farther away from her.

"Yang, we have to stop this! I know that you're mad at me but I'm willing to talk!" Blake pleaded with all her might.

But this wasn't enough to sway Yang away from her rabid state. Yang quickly stood up from her position on the ground and the look on her face never ceased to change. It was cold, filled with rage, and the reflection of everything that Yang pushed down within herself up to that very point.

"YOU LEFT ME BLAKE!" Yang screamed as she started to run towards Blake once again.

There was no use to continue this any longer. Blake knew that she couldn't beat Yang in a straight up fight and even though she could dodge her attacks, it would only be a matter of time before she could find a crack in her defence and get struck down and fatally injured. She needed to get through Yang with her words as it was the only way to finally end it all. Blake needed to stand her ground to the best of her abilities and use her words to settle their bout.

Yang had started her assault once again and Blake needed to be as sharp as she could to avoid sustaining any damage at all. But at the same time, talk to Yang to the best of her abilities to prevent anyone from getting hurt. As Yang started to rush towards her, she fired two shots towards Blake which she was able to easily dodge. But what came next proved to be a bit more challenging as Yang did a flying kick with her right leg as Blake responded by shielding herself with her two arms.

"Yang please calm down! I know that I did something wrong to you and I know that you can't forgive me for it" Blake started to speak.

"Do you know how much you hurt me by leaving?! I lost everything, my friends, my arm, and even you!" Yang shouted while she continued to batter Blake with her strikes.

Even with the numerous blows that came her way, Blake continued to remain calm and composed while trying to suppress the fear that started to build up within her. Even with that, she had the momentous task of talking to Yang and calm her down. But as she studied their current situation, she thought that maybe talking Yang down wasn't the right approach for this situation. Maybe she needed to make Yang talk and get her to just release everything under her chest.

This was a huge gamble and Blake didn't know if this was going to work. But considering how dire their situation was, there was no other option that she could pick besides that one and it was one risk that she was willing to take in order to save the girl in front of her.

In order to create a short break amidst the current fight that she and Yang were locked in, Blake decided to finally stop being passive and engage Yang directly. Blake had doubts if she could muster enough strength to pin Yang down but she didn't have a chance to have any indecisions within herself. Yang had decided to wind up a right hook that came her way and in order to put her in a situation that Blake could subdue her, Blake decided to roll towards its direction before it could come in contact with her. This was the situation that she needed and after the successful roll that she pulled off, Blake leapt towards Yang and pinned her down into the ground with her arms and body.

Blake had successfully pinned Yang down into the ground but it proved to be a challenging task as Yang thrashed around without any hesitation to get Blake off of her.

"Yang, I know that you hate me and there's no way that I can get your forgiveness that easily. But please, just let everything out and tell me all your anger for me. Because it's the only way for me to pay you back for all of the pain that I have given you" Blake pleaded while tears started to form in her eyes.

A small glimmer of hope had finally made its presence known as the savage snarl that Yang had earlier had subsided a little bit upon seeing Blake's face and heard her heartfelt pleading for her to speak up. Even all of the thrashing that she did had weakened just a little bit and it looked like the demented side of Yang had finally worn off. She seemed more aware of her actions and at least it showed that it wasn't too late to get a hold of herself. But even with that said, her anger never failed to waver but Yang's thoughts were more coherent now than before.

The sudden change that Blake saw within Yang had lowered her guard a little bit as she got caught in the moment of her partner regaining her sanity back. But this proved to be fatal as Yang was able to set her legs loose and used them to push Blake out from their position and bounce back to her feet. Blake was able to stand on her own two feet even with Yang suddenly breaking free from her grip. The two of them were now face to face but this time, Yang's face had changed once again and the expression that she had proved to be much more unbearable than the anger that she showed earlier. Blake could feel her tears freely flowing across her face as Yang's face had started show pain and longing rather than the complete anger that overtook it earlier. But those feelings still had traces laying around as Yang's eyes still had the crimson glow that demonstrated her anger.

"So you want me to tell you!? Everything that has caused me pain and everything that you caused!?" Yang told Blake

"Yes, I want you to tell me everything Yang. I need to atone for everything that I have done you. Because the one to be held responsible for all of them is me" Blake replied.

Yang marched towards Blake while tears also started to flow down her face. Even more sadness and pain had started to seep out from her pained expression and that made it harder for Blake to stand on her own two feet.

Blake thought that Yang's attacks were already halted but things just couldn't be that simple. Yang had fired a shot at the ground that almost hit Blake on her right side. Blake took a step back on reaction because of the shot as Yang continued to march towards Blake in an intimidating manner while voicing out all of her frustrations and feelings.

"Why did you have to leave, couldn't you have just been responsible for your actions?!"

"It's not that simple Yang, I didn't want to hurt you anymore and I thought that you hated me and despised every single part of me" Blake reasoned out desperately.

"Well you're wrong Blake, you couldn't be any more wrong! I didn't despise you Blake, I cared for you as much as I did the world and that's why I took the shot for you. Because I know that I wanted to be there for you and I thought that you would do the same for me!"

"But what did I get in return, you leaving without even giving me a single message to know if you're okay or where you're going. Do you know how bad I felt, thinking that you were ashamed of me for all this time?" Yang asked in complete melancholy while she desperately tried to approach Blake.

"I know Yang, I know that it hurts to the very bottom of your heart-"

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT!" Yang screamed as she fired another shot near Blake this time almost hitting her.

"And now you're here, when I was just starting to heal and forget about the pain. You show your face once again and all the wounds and nightmares come right back in. Aren't you tired Blake? Aren't you tired of hurting me?" Yang asked while tears finally flowed freely down her face.

"I'm tired of hurting you Yang, I'm tired of all of it. But the one thing that I'm tired of is running. I'm tired of running away from my problems and that's the reason why I went here. To find you guys and finally face my problems head on. And that also includes you Yang, I'm tired of leaving you behind"

"Even though you're sick of my face and how much painful it is for you to see me, I'm here for you now and I promise that I will make it all go away. So do whatever you want to do to me. But I promise you that I will be here with you every step of the way"

Blake told Yang with a faint smile while she stood straight, willing to stand her ground against Yang's feelings.

Yang had a better hold of herself now that some of her anger had subsided. But that didn't change the fact that some part of her still wanted blood for everything that she had gone through even though her more sane and reasonable side had went against it. She wanted to get a hold of herself once again and let all of the anger out of her system but what pained Yang the most was that she knew that the only way for her to cage the beast within her was to give it what it wanted. The satisfaction of giving back the pain that she received.

Sadness or anger, these were the only two paths that Yang was presented with and neither one had a an ending that could be joyous to all of them. Anger would only lead her to hurt other people and even the one girl that she had waited for all this time. She didn't want to waste this opportunity anymore and Yang was tired of her time being spent like a snarling beast. But the path to sadness was something that scared her more. For her to take that path, she would have to be at her most vulnerable and weakest state and she didn't know what that would entail for herself. This was the first time that she had experienced this much pain and she didn't know what the climax of this feeling was.

With her mind finally made up and ready to end this farce once and for all, Yang was going to do the most painful thing that she had ever done in her life as far as she knew and the pit that formed on the bottom of her stomach had managed to cement this fact. She didn't want to do this but in order to move forward, Yang needed to lift the curse that her heart had and that would come in the form of vengeance.

In response to all of the madness that had happened, Ruby along with Weiss had finally caught up to the two of them and were ready to intervene as soon as possible. Blake saw the two of them from the corner of her eye but did her best to ignore them. This was her and Yang's moment and she didn't want neither one of them to get caught in all of this and ruin her chance of finally making Yang calm herself down.

A trembling fist had started to form in Yang's right arm and Blake had noticed it like a sore thumb. Yang walked slowly towards her with a face that tried its hardest in order to contain all of the tears that had accumulated at the back of her eyes. The red eyes that stared her down earlier had became more transparent as liquid continued to build up within them and it crushed Blake every single second that she stared down into those two eyes.

Yang didn't say a word as she continued to approach her and Blake didn't even flinch even with the fact that Yang was about to close the distance between the two of them. Acting afraid now would just ruin the momentum of their talk and being brave at the face of this adversity was the only thing that could get the two of them out of this situation.

Then finally, Yang and Blake could now see eye to eye and neither one of them spoke a single word even with their close vicinity to each other. They were at arm's length and both Blake and Yang could feel each one's breathing because of the panting that they did amidst all of the energy that they had spent because of this scuffle. Blake didn't know what to do, she didn't know whether or not to console Yang or comfort her with a warm hug. She wouldn't admit it but being this close to Yang had made her feel fear because of all of the unresolved things that they had yet to discuss. But standing around and doing nothing wasn't going to get them anywhere.

But as Blake decided to open her mouth and say something to get their conversation going, the image of Yang's fist had suddenly introduced itself to her cheek and it was so fast that she had just registered the impact a few seconds after the punch had already flew. The hit was so hard that she felt like crying and even though she tried her hardest to suppress it, Blake's body just couldn't take it and it was the only reaction that she could muster against the pain that suddenly surged through her cheek.

Even Ruby and Weiss who watched in the sidelines were shocked with what Yang had suddenly done and they never thought that things would escalate this way. Enough was enough and the two of them didn't want to see anyone hurt anymore. But even though she fumbled about and was dizzy because of the punch that greeted her, Blake held her hand up once again to halt Ruby and Weiss' approach and it started to frustrate the duo because of how powerless they felt to stop all of this.

The punch had already made its mark on Blake's face through a large bruise that had already started to swell. Blake could feel pain through every single movement that she did with her face and her left cheek felt tender and almost at the point of falling off. The pain was severe but she had to push through it, tears had once again started to stream down her face but even through all of this, Blake could still manage to make a weak smile. Just to reassure Yang that she was fine with what she had done.

"Anymore things that you want to do to me?" Blake asked faintly while she managed a weak laugh along with a smile that she desperately tried to sustain.

Upon hearing this, Yang's heart felt like it had finally had enough and cracked right down into the middle. Regret had started to wash over her as she finally snapped back to her senses and was finally conscious to what she had just done. Yang had just hit Blake to the point that it damaged her cheek. Her one true love was finally right in front of her and the first thing that she did to greet her was to assault her directly and ended up giving her a painful punch rather than a welcoming hug that any sane person would do. And what added even more salt to her wounds was the fact that Blake seemed to expect another fit of anger from her. But all of that was done now and nothing but regret and sadness had replaced her rage.

Blake expected another hit or two to come from Yang. It was warranted for her to do that but Blake knew that it would hurt like hell due to what she felt because of the swelling that he cheek suffered. She prepared for anymore pain that would come her way as it was a small fraction of what she thought Yang must've felt because of all of the things that she kept down deep within her.

Yang lessened the already small distance between the two of them and Blake had already started to prepare for another supposed shot. But Blake finally saw Yang face to face once again but this time, the lilac eyes that she had dreamed of seeing once again had finally replaced the hateful eyes that she had and Blake couldn't be any more happier. But what came next was something that she couldn't prepare for on the spot as it was something that she never thought she would experience so soon.

She could feel Yang's metallic hand brush across her face. She wiped away the tears that obstructed her view and the cold sensation of metal brushing along her skin felt more comforting that it should have been. Because somewhere deep inside Blake felt the warmth return back to Yang. And what came next was nothing short of a shock as Yang pressed her body against hers and gave her one fulfilling kiss after the pain that she had suddenly felt.

Pain, anger, sorrow, these things were just some emotions that Yang spurted out across this whole debacle and this was the first time that she was finally able to express something that she genuinely wanted Blake to experience. All of her love and longing for Blake had finally surfaced after all of the negativity that had buried it and she couldn't be all the more glad that she was finally able to do something that her will dictated. Yang didn't care if it was an act based on impulse or if her mind just felt apologizing for what she had done to Blake. What mattered was that she finally showed Blake that she loved her.

All these things were made all the more sweeter as Yang didn't expect Blake to pull her closer towards her. The blonde thought that Blake was surprised because of what she had just done but it was a welcome surprise to see that Blake also shared the same feelings that she had. Blake's tender lips brushed along hers and it was a feeling that she wouldn't exchange for anything in the world. This was the very first time in a long time that she felt complete and happy and the moment felt like it was never going to end.

But as much as she wanted for this moment to last forever, the tears had started to flow once again and Yang found herself crying to her heart's content as her eyes finally gave out and released all of the tears that she tried to contain. Yang and Blake collapsed in the ground as Yang bawled her eyes out while Blake was there to welcome her with a warm hug and a shoulder to lean on to let all of it out of her system.

Everything was finally over. Ruby and Weiss couldn't contain the breath of relief that was locked between their throats and Ruby didn't mind shedding a little tear in appreciation of their whole team being back together. All though Weiss felt the same, she refused to give her feelings away and tried to remain as cold as possible.

The two of them finally approach both Blake and Yang after everything had finally settled down. Weiss and Ruby both made an effort to wrap the two in a warm hug in order to comfort them after all that had happened. Things were more than rocky in the start and it looked like things could have been much worse. But none of that was important now, their family was together once again and they wanted to spare this one moment and forget everything other than the presence of each other side by side.

From the distance, the rest of their friends watched from a distance as everything unfolded. From the start of Yang's outburst all the way to their current reunion. All of them were finally relieved that the storm was now over and the only thing that they had to worry about was how to explain the burned grass and dislodged soil due to the attacks that Yang made. That would be an impending headache for Qrow to handle but rather than bothering himself with that chore now, he decided to deal with it later and use some of his contacts to avoid making any drama from out of this.

But while things had finally calmed down between Yang and Blake's side of things, Sun was still gravely injured as he was the one that took Yang's hit head on with unbridled force. The damage was enough to make him unconscious due to pain alone and it looked like he would be in serious trouble if they didn't rush them to a doctor that could help treat his wounds.

"Umm guys, I don't want to intrude but Sun's in danger and we need to get him to a doctor. Fast" Neptune bought to their attention as fast as he could.

"Oh my God, I didn't know that it was that bad" Nora exclaimed.

"Jaune, Ren, help me carry him and be as careful as possible. I think he broke a rib or two and it doesn't look like his insides are doing well either" Neptune exclaimed.

In a hurry, Jaune and Ren hurriedly ran over to Neptune and the rest of their friends and hoisted Sun up. They tried to be as gentle as possible in order to avoid worsening the damage that had already been dealt. After delicately holding Sun up, Neptune replaced the two of them as he carried him in his own two arms to avoid moving his body any further. He didn't know that his friend weighed that much and it had started to take a toll on his arms. But Sun was his bestfriend and he would be a disgrace if he didn't do this for him.

The rest of team SSSN along with Ren for assistance proceeded to hurry along and get Sun some medical help. They gave Qrow the address for the nearest hospital in case they wanted to catch up to them after they wrapped things up in the park. This only left Jaune, Nora, and Qrow to deal with the four girls of team RWBY and how they could break the news that Sun needed to be rushed to the hospital.

After a few minutes of blissful silence between the four of them, Yang finally slowed down her sobbing and all of her thoughts had finally cleared up again. She could think clearly and speak properly and was back to her normal self. Yang removed her face from Blake's shoulder and stared at her face for the first time after her supposed breakdown. Nothing had changed from the beautiful face that she once remembered and fantasized about except for the bruise that covered her cheek which gave her nothing but shame.

In order to be more comical and change the tone of their conversation, Yang raised her right hand and gave Blake a light knock on the head. Even though it was only a light tap, Blake could feel the weight of her metallic arm bump against her skull and made her feel shaky after it.

"Ow, what was that for?" Blake asked with a little bit of annoyance.

"That's for leaving me okay. Don't ever do that again" Yang said jokingly, now with a smile.

"I think you're forgetting that you punched me for that already" Blake replied, showing her cheek in front of Yang in order to remind her of what she had done earlier.

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry about that Blake, I didn't mean to-"

"Ouch!" Both Blake and Yang groaned as they felt both Ruby and Weiss bury a fist in their heads simultaneously.

"Look, the two of you had already hurt each other too much today. Just play nice or I'll do the hitting for the both of you"

"Yeah sis, stop being such a dork just because Blake's here now. What you can do is to tell her that you-"

"Ruby, not now! That's between the two of us okay" Yang abruptly silenced her before Ruby could say a word.

"Well the important things is that your back. But the question is, are you going to leave again?" Weiss asked sternly right in front of Blake's face.

The three of them focused all of their attention to Blake. Her ears popped out from where they stood as she was surprised to see that they were all so worried about her leaving again. This only made Blake give off a warm smile as she had no intent to leave them ever again. And she was happy to know that she can promise them all that they were going to be with each other for a very long time once again.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to leave anymore. I went to Mistral because of you guys and I'm not going to let anything separate us again" Blake responded warmly.

"And I'm even going to throw in a story with everything that happened in between" Blake told them while she looked directly at Yang as the blonde gave her another smile in response to hers.

From out of nowhere, Jaune, Nora, and Qrow had appeared from behind them after they briefly exchanged some words. Nora was the first one to speak up as she let out a cute squeal after she had finally set her eyes on Blake up close for the first time.

"Blake! I never thought that I would see you again. I'm loving the new outfit, showing a little bit more skin I see" Nora teased as she threw a wink at her.

"Thanks, I guess. Nice to see you too Nora, Jaune, and Qrow too?" Blake responded while a small blush appeared on her face because of what Nora had just said.

"Oh don't worry Nora, I'm loving it too" Yang spoke, returning to her more flirtatious self. Clearly meaning that she was slowly returning back to normal.

With the compliment finally coming from Yang, Blake couldn't contain the red that started to spread along her face because of that. She didn't expect that the two of them could talk normally even with all of the things that happened so far and Blake didn't think that Yang would go off and resume her old antics once again. She didn't mind it one bit though, her feelings were still ever so strong for her and Blake was trying to hold herself back from taking Yang all to herself.

Before anymore celebrations could happen, Qrow let out a loud cough that made them all pause their talking and tune in to what he had to say.

"Well before any of you can start jumping for joy and return back to happy fun times, you might want to remember who _really_ got hurt in our little incident"

"What do you mean? Blake doesn't or anything and it's not like anyone saw what happened right?" Ruby replied.

"Oh no, don't tell me that its Sun!" Yang said frantically as the memories of her rampage slowly unravelled themselves and made her remember that she had punched Sun in point blank rage without any remorse or self control.

"Hate to break it to you, but yeah Suns pretty banged up. He had some trouble breathing and it looked like he broke a few bones. His teammates along with Ren rushed him as fast as possible to the nearest hospital. I just hope that they can make it before things could get worse"

"Where is he!" Blake stood up from where she sat and walked over to Qrow in a complete panic after hearing of what had happened to Sun. Because she was in the center of everything that had happened between her and Yang, she forgot to acknowledge Sun's condition and a wave of regret had washed over her because of it.

"Neptune gave me an address, we'll head over there as soon as you guys wrap things up over here"

"Take me to him now!" Blake pleaded in an angered voice as she suddenly grabbed Qrow's collar in a sudden act of frustration.

This was a shocking move that not even Blake realized she had suddenly done. Everyone was surprised by how Blake reacted to the news of Sun's injury and even though Qrow didn't expect the calm and collected cat girl to suddenly show her emotions like that, he decided to ignore it just because he knew that they already had a pretty rough day and this was another thing that just managed to pile on to the large list of problems that she already had on her plate.

Qrow gently removed Blake's hands that gripped his collar and straightened them back to the way they were earlier. Blake was still frozen because of what she had done and Qrow knew that her mind was still rattled not only by the news that he delivered but her encounter with Yang and the rest of her friends as well. In order to get things moving and give her the release that she needed, Qrow decided to speak up and direct them towards the address that Neptune left for them.

"Well if you guys really want to see him now I still have the address that Neptune left. We can head over there as soon as possible"

"We don't have anything better to do and he's our friend. And I think that we owe him one now that Blake is here" Ruby spoke.

The rest of them nodded their heads silently while agreeing to her suggestion. Qrow decided to lead the way as they traced back the steps that they took in order to arrive there in the first place. Jaune and Nora walked side by side as both Ruby and Weiss held their hands together and were right behind their two other friends. Blake and Yang needed some well deserved time together so the two girls decided to give them just that.

Blake still had a little bit of trouble processing what had suddenly happened. In one moment, she felt complete happiness and bliss as she surrounded herself with her two bestfriends and the one love that she never got to show her true feelings for. But those emotions were quick to shift as she was brought down into the ground once again by the soul crushing news that after everything that had happened, Sun was once again the one who took the punishment from her.

Earlier that day, she was ready to cement their relationship together even with her feelings for Yang and their reunion together hadn't changed her feelings for the boy a single bit. But that was the one thing that made the guilt even more harder to bear, she was still undecided between her feelings and Sun was once again all in the middle of it and actually got hurt because of it. At the same time, her feelings for Yang grew all the more stronger now that the two of them can finally see each other eye to eye. This was her chance to finally reveal her true feelings and it scared her for what it could entail for the future.

But Yang's two arms wrapping her tightly as her body pressed against her own had snapped her out of her thinking and brought her back to the present. She could feel the heavy cloud that Yang carried on her shoulders as she felt sorry about what she had done. Yang had no intention of hurting Sun in any way and it pained her more knowing that she might have hurt Blake's feelings because of how she almost gravely wounded a person close to her.

"Blake, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him. I really didn't" Yang apologized, almost in the verge of tears once again.

"It's okay, I know that you didn't mean to. I'm not mad, I'm just so worried about him" Blake replied as she stroked Yang's flowing hair in order to soothe her feelings.

"Yang, we'll talk later. But right now, we really need to check up on Sun and see if he's okay. Is that all right?"

Yang nodded her head in agreement while Blake wiped some of the tears that made it out of Yang's eyes. The two of them proceeded to follow the rest of their friends along with Qrow who was at the front of their group as they made their way to the supposed hospital that Sun was brought to. But before anything else, Blake didn't forget to hold Yang's right hand along with hers. The cold metal brushing against her skin was something new that she never experienced when she held Yang's hand before but it didn't take anything away from the experience. Her heart fluttered as she was graced with the feeling of Yang being in close contact with her and Yang appreciated this gesture by giving her a warm smile.

They had already started the process of recovery and the two of them were thankful that they could patch up all of the hate and misery between the two of them. Blake wanted to elaborate some things between her teammates and especially Yang and she hoped that she could mend their relationship together even more. And maybe, say I love you to a person that she loved but this time, for Yang.

* * *

 **Damn, I haven't updated this for quite a while and I'm sorry for the long wait. With so many things to do and the school year almost coming to and end, all the work that I needed to do just piled up on top of each other and gravely affected my writing schedule. But I can't do anything about that anymore so here you go instead!**

 **This chapter has finally made the story move forward as the gang is back together which means that more interactions between Blake and Yang are certain for the future. The love triangle scenario has finally come into play and its going to be a challenge for me to balance the two ships out while actually coming up with a situation that only one comes out on top. (Sorry Sunnybees)**

 **I'm excited because of the large cast of characters that can finally interact with one another and its going to be fun experimenting with as many scenarios as I can. And since this chapter came a little bit late, the next one is already being written as of now and I hope that I can release it before the month can end.**

 **As always, reviews are much appreciated and thank you for reading this fic. See you next time!**


	25. Chapter 25

The hospital wasn't really a place that either one of them were familiar with. Their aura was already sufficient to treat any wounds that they suffered in combat as their skills as huntsmen and huntresses were enough to prevent any massive amount of injury. But the damage that Sun's body received needed more advanced ways of treatment as his aura wasn't enough to stand against Yang's blow, rendering his ability to treat himself useless immediately after one strike.

Even though they went to the hospital in order to see Sun's condition, the rest of their group didn't ignore that Blake still had a large bruise on her face and she was in such a state of distraught that her mind had somehow managed to block out the pain entirely and it was only brought back to Blake's attention as one of the hospital's attendants noticed it and tended to her immediately.

They all sat down on a small air-conditioned waiting area partitioned by glass which gave them full view of the whole floor that they were in. It wasn't really a busy day for the hospital and only a few civilians can be seen throughout the floor although the activity within the staff members were still in progress which made the supposedly uncomfortable silence a little bit more bearable.

Before they could all sit down, a nurse tended to Blake's bruise by applying some medical gel and bandaging it up. Suffice to say the pain was a little bit lessened but that wasn't really a priority on her mind. Her heart could only take so much in one day and she felt exhausted after everything that had happened so far. The exhilaration that she felt earlier that day had pumped her heart up to unhealthy levels but this slowly declined into a more faint heartbeat because of her nervousness about Sun's condition.

A conversation could have taken some edge out of Blake but the events that lead up to that moment had rendered each one of them unable to start one up as it was too awkward for anyone of them to say a single word. Ruby and Weiss couldn't think of a single question that they could ask Blake without risking triggering Yang in any way. Jaune, Qrow, and Nora didn't really feel that they had a say on things regarding team RWBY so they decided to wait until somebody spoke up. But Yang on the other hand, contemplated silently about her actions and tried to get rid of the guilt that resulted out of the things that she had done.

Every single second felt like an eternity to them with nothing to pass the time with and stare at each other blankly. This was not how they wanted their day to go and Nora just wanted something interesting to happen to get rid of her boredom.

The door that lead to the operation room suddenly flew open and all seven of them stood with the hopes that Sun was actually okay and hopefully recovered from the injury that he sustained. Blake and the whole gang looked across the hall from where the waiting room was and low and behold, Neptune assisted Sun as they walked out of the operation room while Ren was in tow, readily available if the two friends needed assistance.

Blake had heaved a huge sigh of relief as she saw that Neptune and Sun were chatting away and it seemed like Ren tried to chime in the conversation as well. It almost looked like nothing happened at all as no trace of pain could be seen on his face but the one thing that bothered her was the obvious bandaging that could be seen in Sun's abdomen with a little bit of blood spots that were clearly visible.

Blake rushed in towards the three of them while the rest of her friends did the same. The sudden amount of people who rushed towards them had made Sun and Neptune's eyes pop as they didn't expect that the whole gang would be there to check up on Sun.

"What are you guys doing here?" Sun asked showing no signs of any pain despite the bruise on his stomach.

"Are you okay? Are you still hurt or anything?" Blake asked in quick succession, hoping that Sun could reassure her that he was alright.

"Whoa, take it easy kitty cat. I'm all fine now, just needed some bandages and medicine that helped get my aura back up. Not really anything that could kill me" Sun tried to joke.

"Well if we didn't rush you fast enough I think that it could have killed you" Neptune replied, clearly stating a snarky comment while in the presence of Yang.

It didn't take that much common sense for Sun to notice that Neptune took a slug at Yang clearly referencing her violent actions from earlier. From among the people that visited him in the hospital, Sun saw that Yang was also one of them and upon hearing what Neptune had said, a small hint of grief brushed across her face and he didn't appreciate that one bit. He knew that Neptune was just being defensive but it wasn't his intention to make Yang feel bad. After all, it was his choice to confront her and he was the only one who should be responsible for the hit that he took.

In response to this, Sun subtly smacked Neptune at the back of his head so that he would mind his tone. And in order to reassure both Blake and Yang who were surely the ones that were both worried about him the most, he quickly adjusted the flow of the conversation to take a more lighter path.

"Don't mind him, he's overreacting. I'm fine and that's the only thing that you need to know" Sun spoke.

Blake appreciated the act that Sun did and a small smile crept across her face in order to acknowledge this. Sun was quick to notice it and a small sense of recognition sprung out of him but he tried to turn his feelings down a notch just because Yang was there and he wanted Blake to have the liberty to act out as much as she wanted without him being a limiter for her.

"Where's the rest of your team? I thought they went in here with you guys?" Ruby asked.

"Well I thought that patching me up would take a long time so we sent them back to the dorm and clean the place up, but apparently not. Just needed some medicine to help me replenish my aura and here we are now"

"That's great to hear. You had us worried you know" Jaune said.

"Geez, I'm sorry that I took the spotlight from you four. This was supposed to be your big day and I picked the wrong time to be as reckless as possible" Sun nudged at himself.

Giggles rose from each of their friends and Sun can't help but feel warm inside because of all the familiar faces that gathered around them. Meeting their old friends from Beacon had reminded him of the good old days when things in the world weren't in such disarray. But as much time that he wanted to spend with all of them, a part of him knew that Blake and her friends had a lot of catching up to do and it involved some sensitive issues that they had no right to butt in on.

But despite this, Sun thought that hanging out with Jaune and his team would still be enjoyable so as soon as he got this idea, he promptly suggested a plan that could give team RWBY the privacy that they needed while also giving both him and Neptune some time to spend with Jaune, Ren, and Nora.

"Hey guys, I know that you girls want some time to yourselves and we don't mind hanging out some other time. Why don't you guys have some rest and we'll take Jaune, Ren, and Nora out for a little walk. What do you guys say?"

"Are you sure about that? I mean, we can talk later tonight so we're not really in a rush or anything" Blake replied, a little bit of concern still lingering in her voice.

"Don't worry, you four had a big day and since we're all here with nothing to do, we can hang out as much as we want" Sun told her while placing a hand on her shoulder for extra effect.

Blake knew that Sun was very much stubborn and once he made up his mind, it would be impossible for her to do anything to sway him from rethinking his decisions. She really did want to spend more time with him and the rest of their friends but Blake knew the sentiment that Sun wanted to give. Sun knew very well that she needed to interact with her long lost teammates and this was her chance to properly explain her side and correct any misconceptions that they had about her.

"Fine, but don't you dare do anything that too brash. Or I swear that I'll beat you up myself" Blake replied jokingly.

"So it's settled then, our little scoundrel Blake here will be telling us a long long story about how she magically appeared in the kingdom of Mistral" Weiss butted in.

"Chill out Ice Queen, I have a lot of stories to tell. And I don't mind chatting away for hours on end" Blake replied.

"So guys, while the girls are having their little talk, what do you suppose we do?" Neptune asked.

"It's already afternoon and I don't mind having another meal after all of that crazy high jinks" Nora suggested.

"Nora, didn't you just have a full rice meal for breakfast?" Ren muttered.

"You can't put enough food to fill this bottomless stomach" Nora replied back.

"I haven't had that heavy of a breakfast though. Me and Blake just had bread for breakfast so I don't mind taking a little lunch break" Sun spoke.

This one statement had bought impending mischief to all of them as Nora had received more material that she could use in order to make any single one of them in their group uncomfortable because of her constant joking about the love triangle that she could feel in the air.

"Oooh, I didn't know that you and Blake met earlier before the park. Did you meet up or something? Better yet, did you stay in the same place with her when she was here?" Nora asked, clearly trying to insinuate something.

Ren could only put a palm on his face as he could clearly read what Nora tried to do. Even Jaune caught small hints of this because of how well she knew Nora and even he could tell that things wouldn't end well because of this. But the two guys thought that calling Nora out would only motivate her so they hoped that Sun would say something that could get him out of that situation.

"Well, it's a long story. Sure we stayed in the same room but that's just for the time being before we could meet you guys" Sun replied trying to sound as confident as he could.

This did nothing but fuel Nora's mischief fuelled rampage with the goal to completely turn either Blake or Sun fully red. She knew she had the upper hand on this one and decided to push through with even more implicating things about what Sun had just told them.

"Now that you've said that, did you share the same bed or anything?" Nora asked, now being clear as day that she had an inkling of how Blake and Sun spent their time together.

By this point, each and every one of them felt awkward and humiliated because of Nora's statements. Sun and Blake were the most affected by this as their faces got filled with the color red because of how Nora tried her hardest in order to expose their still secret relationship to both Blake's teammates and the rest of their other friends. Ruby and Weiss were confused on why Nora started to take shots at both Blake and Sun but they couldn't deny that they were curious about their relationship together being more than close friends.

Yang tried to hide it, but she also had a blush on her face resulting from Nora's antics. She and Blake were just reunited and she had absolutely no idea of what transpired between the two of them over the long period of time that they spent away from each other. Yang felt a small hint of jealousy sprouting from within her as even though she knew that Nora was just clowning around, there may be some small truth to what she was trying to imply.

Nora still hadn't had enough and the amusing reactions that she received from her friends had just fuelled her desire to push things even further. She was about to dig in deeper to what Sun and Blake's story had to offer but before she could open her mouth, Ren stepped in so that Nora's energy can finally contained. The energetic girl had managed to make her other friends feel awkward so Ren thought that he needed to return the favor and make her feel uncomfortable as well.

Ren walked over to Nora before she could say a word and gave her a more sensual hug than he usually preferred. He covered Nora's mouth with his chest while placing his two arms on her waist. Nora didn't expect this much physical contact during that time and especially not from Ren. Her heart completely fluttered because of her intense feelings for Ren and moments like this were few and far between. Which made Nora all the more panicked and surprised by Ren's actions.

"Whoa, whoa, what's happening Ren?" Nora muttered in a love fuelled haze.

"You've had a little but too much fun for today Nora. Call it a day and maybe I'll think about more, _romantic_ situations for later" Ren told her.

"Okay" Nora replied back sounding even more attracted to Ren's words.

"Geez, can you guys get a room" Yang spoke from out of nowhere while she gestured towards both Ren and Nora with a jokingly displeased look on her face.

Everyone laughed because of how smoothly Yang threw out her joke and it was a good call back to her old habits back in beacon. Blake was especially eager to see that Yang had slowly started acting back to normal and the old Yang that she once adored had started to make her way back to her. This motivated Blake to continue her talk with Yang and made her even more thankful for the window of time that Sun had given her to talk to her teammates.

All of their business had finally been resolved inside the hospital and after signing some paperwork that authorized Sun's release, they were finally outside of the hospital and free to do whatever they wanted. Sun alongside the other half of Ruby's group were supposed to part ways as Sun and Neptune invited them out to spend some time with each other while team RWBY parted ways. They all started to say their goodbye's to each other for the mean time and it was time for Sun and Blake to part ways after the many days that they've spent never leaving each other's side.

"So, when did you plan on telling me that you had this planned all along?" Blake asked.

"Hey it was meant to be a surprise. And by the looks of it, things are going to work out just fine"

"Try to have some fun will you? And be more sincere with your feelings towards Yang. I don't want you holding out on her just because I'm here you know" Sun told Blake.

"But weren't you going to-"

"Blake, are you ready?" Ruby asked her, abruptly cutting her off before she could get validation on Sun's earlier actions.

Blake turned around to see that Ruby, Weiss, and especially Yang were all eager for her to join them. She saw the look on their faces and Blake immediately knew that she didn't have the right to delay the time that she had owed them. And as much as she wanted to talk to Sun and clear things out, he pretty much wanted her to spend her time with her friends rather than focus on him. In order to repay the debts that she had to her friends and to honor Sun's wishes, Blake decided that it was finally time for them to get some peace and quiet and sit down to iron out the wrinkles that she caused to her relationship with each and every one of her teammates.

"Well, I guess I have to go. But you owe me one for scaring me that much and you'll have a big talking to in due time" Blake told Sun as she tried to conclude their conversation.

"I guess I'm in trouble then aren't I. Good thing that you still have some business to take care of and that should buy me enough time to come up with as many excuses that I can"

"Goodbye Sun, be seeing you later"

"See you later too kitty cat" Sun replied as they eventually parted ways and waved each other goodbye.

All of the four girls of team RWBY walked side by side and Sun felt proud for Blake because of how far she had come. He knew in the beginning that this day would come eventually but it happened so fast which goes to show how far Blake had grown. Although he wouldn't admit it, Sun was a little bit saddened that the time that they could spend with each other had inevitably lessened because of the time that she needed to spend with her old friends and Yang.

But Sun knew that he couldn't be selfish and Blake was not an object that he could take all for himself. She was a person to and like everyone else, she has a choice. And the choices that she had were how she could spend each day now that all of them were already in one place and Sun loved her too much to make decisions for her or influence her in any way.

He couldn't help but stare at the four of them as Blake's image got fuzzier and fuzzier until they were finally nowhere in sight as they blended in to the large crowd that sprawled over the streets of Mistral. For the first time, Sun didn't feel Blake beside her and it was a feeling that felt so foreign because of the time that they had spent to each other and he thought that it would take some practice in order for him to get used to that feeling.

But not everything was hopeless, Sun remembered that he and Neptune still had their three other friends to spend the rest of the day with and he was not about to let that opportunity to come to a waste. Eating out was the one thing that he had in mind and by how things transpired that day, he had a good hunch that they needed to refuel after a long morning.

"So, you guys want to grab a bite?" Sun asked as he focused his attention on their three guests.

"I wasn't feeling that hungry earlier but now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind eating a thing or two" Jaune replied.

"After everything that had happened in the park and no offense, carrying you all the way here, I can say that I'd like to sit down and have a good meal" Ren replied in a joking manner.

"So where do you plan on taking us Sunny boy!" Nora howled excitingly.

"Chill out guys, we have the rest of the day to ourselves so we're in no rush. And I know just the perfect place for us to plop down and have a nice meal"

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's get the party going brother" Neptune cheered.

The five of them were excited to finally have some rest and some food to back things up after the exhaustion that trailed behind them. Sun and Neptune lead the way as Jaune and the others followed and they merrily made their way towards a well known restaurant that Sun and Neptune went to from time to time.

Sun reminisced about the things that happened earlier and one sour thought came in his mind. It wasn't the brutal punch that Yang delivered to him, it was the botched proposal that he tried to do from out of nowhere. He reviewed his actions and decided to evaluate whether or not his decision to do that was right or wrong and what might've happened if he was actually able to pop the question. But he didn't have the luck or privilege for that to happen as everything that came after lead to one large hurricane that propelled him to where they were now.

He was in a love struck trance earlier when he and Blake had their talk earlier and much of it was a blur except for the meaningful words and promises that she made to Blake that day. Sun felt so done and tired with his feelings and the circumstances that he and Blake were under and it felt like the only thing that could free him from all of it was to do something that would make things certain for the future instead of him feeling tired because of all the worrying and anxiety that he had especially now that Blake and Yang were finally together again.

And amidst these feelings, Sun found hope that maybe the future wasn't uncertain at all. Because as he remembered Blake's face after he uttered the first few words of the question that he meant to asked, the only thing that he saw was the most beautiful smile that he had ever seen and eyes that were filled with much hope and gladness that it made it hard for Sun to think that Blake would refuse his proposal.

A bright cloud had hovered over Sun's head and the once vibrant smile that he had earlier had returned once again because of all the positivity that he extracted out of the memorable moment that he and Blake had earlier and his mind had started to buzz and think about what would have happened if that moment truly came to be.

But a mild heart attack had suddenly hit him from out of nowhere as his hand rifled through his pockets. The single most important object that he had on him wasn't in the pocket that he left it in and Sun's world had started to crumble as his fingers couldn't register the familiar feeling of the ring inside of his pocket. Sun tried to contain his panicked self as doing anything brash could give himself away and reveal his little secret. But doing so proved to be difficult as beads of sweat quickly manifested on his face because of the rushed beating of his heart.

Sun thought that maybe he just left it in some other pocket so he decided to feel every single nook and cranny in his shorts just to make sure that he didn't misplace it or anything. But his little search didn't net him anything as the ring was nowhere to be found and Sun was completely crushed by the revelation that it was no longer in his person.

The only place that Sun could think the ring was located in was either in the hospital or the park and neither one of those placed gave him a reassured feeling that he would be able to retrieve it without a hitch. Returning to the hospital would make him more suspicious as he couldn't think of any good reason to return as he no longer had the need to be treated. And the park wasn't any good either as the place was so big that it would be hard to find a small little ring across the large landscape that it had. And because it would be dangerous for them to return back to the park just an hour after they've caused obvious damage to it.

Sun's heart sank because of this and he felt sorry for himself because he couldn't give it to Blake and due time. And utter fear for Blake's mom, Kali, because he lost the precious ring that she had entrusted to him and broke the promise that he made that he would give it to her daughter no matter what.

His feet had refused to move because of how sunken he felt due to the fact that he had lost the ring that was entrusted to him and Sun felt that he had made a great disservice to Blake and her mom because of this. Sun felt a light tapping on his shoulder and it was hard for him to muster up the effort to turn around because of how disheartened he was.

It was Neptune and he had a sly smile on his face. He didn't know why he had that look on his face but not even his bestfriend's facial expressions could cheer him up from what he had just discovered.

"What do you want Neptune?" Sun asked, completely gloomy compared to his joyful self just a few moments ago.

"Why do you look so sad, it's like you _lost_ something" Neptune replied, clearly adding an emphasis on the word lost.

And adding on to that, Neptune gestured over to his right hand and revealed an opened palm. Sun's eyes started to dart open and a grin inevitably started to form on his face because of the peculiar little object that sat on top of Neptune's palm. It was the ring that Kali had given him and he couldn't be any more thankful that he hadn't lost it or the possibility that something could have damaged it in some way.

"I took it from your pocket when you were unconscious. They might've found it if I didn't get it sooner so I kept it so that wouldn't happen" Neptune stated proudly.

"You're a lifesaver dude. And that's not an exaggeration" Sun told his friend, almost overcome with the feeling of giving him a large hug.

Sun didn't want to spend any more time away from the said ring and he reached over to Neptune in order to receive it. Neptune obliged and joined Sun as he also reached over to give Sun what was rightfully his. The panic that had set in had disappeared as soon as he was assured that it wasn't lost or anything. Sun was nothing short from being relieved as he was about to get the ring that he thought he lost, but both his heart and Neptune's had stopped and their tongue's fell down to their throat because a small hand had suddenly flew from out of nowhere and intercepted the exchange that Sun and Neptune were about to have.

"Mine!" Nora screamed in a childish and mischievous manner.

"NORA NO!" The two boys screamed out of shock.

Nora skipped along her merry way as she had obtained the small object that Neptune discreetly tried to hide from them. Sun and Neptune were left motionless as the both of them were caught and there was nothing that they could say or do that could dissuade Nora from sharing what she had just found to both Jaune and Ren and it was pretty obvious at that point that Sun would have to tell the three of them the whole story.

"What do we have here sunny boy? Looks like someone has a little bit of explaining to do" Nora teased while she gloated because of the small ring that she knew meant much more than its face value.

"Nora, what are you holding?" Jaune asked, while Ren approached the two of them because of the development that had just occurred.

"Well by the looks of it, it's some kind of ring. It's really pretty, where did you find it?" Ren asked.

Nora gladly pointed over to both Neptune and Sun who still just sat there and stared directly towards the three of them while their eyes never trailed off from the ring that Nora now had on her hands. After all of the effort that they went through in order to keep the ring a secret between the two of them, they never thought that their little secret would be foiled that easily.

"That's a pretty ring Sun. Never thought that you would be the type to wear one though" Jaune commented.

Ren thought the exact same thing as Jaune and was just about to comment on how grand the ring looked. But upon reviewing the context behind all of it and the fact that both Sun and Neptune looked so shocked all of a sudden made Ren think a little bit more deeper rather than settling with his initial thought.

It didn't take long for Blake's image to come into Ren's mind and everything suddenly seemed as clear as it could be and even though all of the pieces connected, Ren couldn't believe that the ring that Nora currently had on her hand would serve a much more special purpose. And judging by how Nora jittered uncontrollably and by Ren knowing that Nora had a knack for making fun of relationships among their group, Ren tried to bring up the small theory that he had on his mind. Just for the sake of putting his mind to rest and grab both Sun and Neptune's attention.

"Sun if you don't mind me asking, is that... an engagement ring?" Ren asked while Nora almost lost it as Ren had the exact same idea that she had on her mind.

"Ummm, maybe?" Sun answered, trying to be as ambiguous as possible.

"I KNEW IT!" Nora shrieked in victory as loudly as she could. Jaune and Ren didn't have the privilege to react to Sun's revelation as they were too preoccupied by Nora's sudden burst of energy and tried to hold her down before she could do anything unruly or childish.

"Calm down Nora, it's not that big of a deal!" Jaune told Nora, trying to knock some sense into her.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN NOT A BIG DEAL!? YOUR FRIEND WANTS TO PROPOSE YOUR OTHER FRIEND AND YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NO BIG DEAL!" Nora screamed in outrage.

"Guys guys, calm down will you!" Sun shout in order to stop everyone in their tracks.

"You just can't catch a break today can you?" Neptune told Sun as he patted his shoulder in sympathy.

"So, mind telling us the whole story or not?" Ren asked with a wry smile on his face.

"Ren, I thought that you were on my side?"

"Well I might not be as enthusiastic as Nora over here, but nevertheless I'm still interested in this ring of yours" Ren replied.

"Yeah come on Sun, we're all friends here. We promise we won't tell and besides, what better way to tell us your story than over a hot meal with a bunch of your friends" Jaune butted in.

"You really don't have any choice bro, why not just let them in on our little secret?" Neptune advised.

Sun tried to think about any other option that he could take just to have an out in his current position. He already had a bad enough day as it is and when he thought that he could relax and forget about everything that had happened that day, his utmost secret just had to be revealed to a bunch of his friends nonetheless and no matter what he did, the information had already leaked out and wasn't exclusive to just him and Neptune.

He couldn't be any more annoyed because of how frustrating the whole debacle had became. A visible frown can be seen on his face which was contrasted by the eager smiles that came from Jaune, Ren, and Nora along with Neptune who also joined in on the fun, just because he knew that Sun would be forced to tell the story anyway. They were all eager for a good gossip and nothing could be more juicier than a good love story.

"I guess I can tell it as long as you keep quiet" Sun spoke, completely defeated by the presence of his friends.

"Yeah yeah of course we'll be quiet. What kind of friends would we be if we ratted you out like that" Nora replied.

"Woah, you really suprised me Nora. I thought that you'll just blab everything out as soon as you heard the whole thing" Jaune told her.

"That will just spoil all the fun and I'm not a monster that gets in the way of love. But don't worry, I have my own ways of having my fun with this" Nora told Jaune with obvious mischief on her voice.

Sun felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead because of the subtle threat that Nora made. That was the exact reason why he was afraid to give Nora this information because she was a wildcard and he didn't know whether or not she would hint about it when Blake was there and the issue was so sensitive that Sun couldn't risk even the thought of him having that ring be bought up in Blake's mind.

"Don't worry, I have your back. I won't let her jeopardize your love life with her jokes or anything" Ren told Sun, reassuring him that he would keep Nora in check at all times.

That was the first piece of good news that he received that day and he was glad that Nora's outgoing and energetic attitude was balanced out by Ren's more calm and rational self. The two were complete opposites and somehow turn out to be one of the best couples that he knew. That thought reminded him of Blake a lot but decided to put it on the back of his mind just to forget the feeling of him missing her.

"So, are we going to eat or not?" Neptune asked, clearly ready to sit down and finally eat after all this time.

"Fine fine, we're going already. But you're paying for this one, I'm going to let them in on my secret just because you couldn't pass that ring more discretely" Sun told Neptune.

"Hey, you don't have to tell them anything. But I have to warn you, Nora's a bit itchy for a story and not telling her may just land you into a world of trouble when she meets Blake"

"Don't you dare do that!" Sun spat out in a panic.

"I'm just kidding dude. Fine, I'll pay for your food just this once. I feel sorry for you because you already got hit on the stomach and about to spread your secret"

"Are we just going to stand here or what?" Jaune complained, clearly hungry because of all the talking.

All of them had their fill with the long conversation that they had and they didn't want to let their whole day devolve into them talking just right outside of the hospital that they exited. Nevertheless, they still had much more to talk about but their hunger for more talking was outweighed by the need to feed their stomachs and the small group that they had split off into had decided to finally move the party over to the restaurant that Sun had recommended. They took the road that directly went opposite of the path that team RWBY took to go to the place that they were staying in.

Neptune along with Jaune's team had started to acclimate to each other and they all went their merry way with Sun in front of their group to lead them to where they were slated to eat. This was the first day that he had to spend without Blake by her side and he suddenly felt that his right hand had started to slightly itch without him knowing what caused it. The only thing that he could think of was the fact that he held Blake's hand so often that his body had subconsciously started to look for that sensation.

Before they could start to proceed deeper into the street that they went through, Sun looked over behind his back one last time before his eyes couldn't see the street behind them anymore. He hoped that Blake's image or a small part of her could still be visible before they took a sharp turn.

But the only thing that greeted him was the loud bustling of the kingdom and a mirage of people that flooded his vision.

* * *

The familiar sight of the commercial district had once again graced Sun and Neptune's eyes and it was easy for them to navigate through the various crowds of people that flocked within the district that wanted their own fair share of what the district had to offer, or even manage their own businesses that the people had gone there for.

On the other hand, the newcomers to their group where in awe due to how different the kingdom was compared to their old memories of Vale. No matter what the day and how busy the time of year was, they never saw any street or place in Vale that busy and it was even harder for them to digest that this was a regular occurrence in that area.

They made sure to stay close to Sun and Neptune as even a second of separation from the two of them would cause them to completely get lost in the kingdom as they didn't have the capacity to wade through the immense amount of people. Their knowledge of the kingdom's layout wasn't that great even though they already spent a few days within.

"I can't believe that you spent a week in here without even visiting all of the fun places" Sun voiced.

"We were on guard duty outside of the gate for all of that time to get some funds for all of our expenses. We were also pretty tired from the journey to get here so we just slept and lazed around soft beds that we missed so much" Jaune replied.

"Don't you worry, now that you have me and Neptune we'll make sure that you have the best Mistral experience that you can ever have"

"And by the looks of it, we're already on the first stop of your Mistral tourism checklist" Sun happily noted as he pointed over a big establishment that had a large sign posted on top of it.

It was apparently the restaurant that Sun had lead them to. Jaune, along with Ren and Nora were pleasantly greeted by the scrumptious aromas that came from the said establishment and the already wide smiles that they had on their faces had grown due to their eagerness to enter the building and help themselves to whatever had made the different smells that invaded their noses.

"Pots and Pans, not really the most fancy sounding name is it" Nora mentioned.

"Even if it isn't, that doesn't mean that it will taste any different from good food. You remember the small breakfast that we had? That came from stalls and it was still pretty good" Ren replied to Nora's observation.

"You have a point. The only thing that matters is that it tastes good in my mouth and fills my stomach to the very brim!" Nora exclaimed excitedly.

"Don't worry, our team usually frequents this place and we have never been disappointed. I guess that's enough to earn your trust right?" Neptune told them.

"It's okay dude. They're about to learn that true Mistral cooking is not something to scoff at" Sun added to Neptune's statement.

Sun lead the way and opened the door that was located on the side of the building for the rest of his friends. They hurriedly made their way inside and if the smell of food wasn't already strong enough outside of the building, the whole place seemed to be enveloped by it inside as Nora had now fallen victim to the strong smell of ingredients being cooked within the kitchen.

The boys were more concerned on finding a table before they could start digging in and feeding their ears with Sun's story but the place had a decent amount of people in it and Jaune worried that they wouldn't find a table that could fit their whole group. He tried to look around for any space that could fit all of them but his search didn't reward him with anything.

"Do you think that we'll be able to find a table in this place?" Jaune asked.

"Relax dude, there are more tables upstairs. People in here never run out but we seem to find a table no matter what" Sun replied to Jaune's question.

With that said, they all made their way to the second floor of the building while Ren dragged Nora along with them. She was too focused on the smell that came from the food being cooked that she reverted into her overacting hungry self as she went into a catatonic state.

Compared to the busy scene downstairs, the second floor was much more tame and less people occupied the space that it had. There were a bunch of open tables that could fit them all and still have room for two or more people and they were free to choose any spot that made them comfortable. Because of the large window that overlooked the part of the commercial district that they were in, Sun and Neptune decided that it was best for them to choose a table that gave their friends a view of the land.

After choosing the appropriate table, they were finally able to relax their drained legs and sore butts after the fairly long walk that they took to reach the place. Menus were individually handed out to them and it revealed that the restaurant had offered various selections and there was so much to choose from that the three foreigners were daunted on what to choose.

"There's so many to choose from Ren, I want to eat it all" Nora stated dreamily.

"Control yourself Nora, you're going to get a bellyache" Ren told her responsibly.

"Doesn't matter if my belly had fun before it"

"If you won't do it for yourself then do it for me will you? You do know that I'm the one who rubs your stomach after you get one of these bellyaches"

"Even better!" Nora cheered.

"These two lovebirds, I don't know if they're annoying or completely adorable. I guess you can call it sickly sweet" Jaune noted.

"On to more important matters, have you guys already decided on what to order?" Neptune asked.

"Not really sure yet. I mean there's so much and we're not from here so we don't know what's good or not. Why not order what you usually order and see where we go from there" Jaune advised.

"If you say so"

Neptune gestured over to one of the servers that roamed around so that he can order the usual food that they had due to Jaune's request. A person had seen the gesture that he made and went over to their table wasting no time at all. A girl approached them wearing a uniform that mirrored the outfit of all the other employees that were present in the restaurant. She had blue eyes and her brown hair was tied up into a ponytail and with her was a pen and piece of paper, clearly ready to take their order.

"So, what are you two fancying today? And it looks like you have some new faces to tend to" The girl asked, clearly familiar with both Sun and Neptune's face but not so much with the other trio.

"We're just showing them around the place and since we've been here so much, we know that you won't disappoint them with your cooking" Neptune replied.

"Well, order up then"

"Let's see, we'll have stir-fried noodles and beef, fried rice, grilled pork, and some dumplings for the appetizer"

"Some much needed advice, make everything a large. Anything smaller than that Nora will just devour in a heartbeat and before we know it, we don't have anything other to eat than her leftovers" Ren butted in, while Nora nodded her head in agreement to what Ren had said.

"It's fine, their regular servings are pretty hefty and we often have some spare takeout to bring back to the dorm. But if Nora does suck everything up like a vacuum, we can just order some more" Neptune replied.

"So, anything else that you would like to add?" the waitress asked them.

"Well, your number would also be nice on top off that" Neptune told her with a flirtatious face that clearly wanted her attention.

"Nice try, never happened once and I'd like to keep that record thank you very much. To be honest, I prefer your other blonde friend over there at the back" The waitress replied, throwing a wink at Jaune while he responded by waving his hands in front of his face.

The waitress walked off after taking Neptune's order. Neptune's failed attempts at getting the pony-tailed girl's number had started to stack up and Sun couldn't help but let out a small snicker in order to poke fun at Neptune for his failed attempts at snagging himself a lady to date.

Jaune had a red blush on his face because of the wink that the girl had given him and he felt embarrassed because of it. Sun thought that it was too comical that Neptune had once again been rejected and was easily outdone by Jaune without him even meaning to.

"How about that Neptune, looks like Jaune over here has better game than you" Sun teased.

"Big deal, she wasn't even that cute anyway" Neptune responded.

"Says the guy who got rejected 10 times and counting"

"What can I say, I'm pretty smooth with the ladies" Jaune spoke, adding onto Sun's attempts at teasing Neptune.

That comment was not appreciated by Ren and Nora at all. Some small part of them was hit by that statement even though Jaune said it in a joking manner. Something pulled them to give him a look of resentment because of what he said as their memories of their old teammate came flashing into their minds.

"Did you really just say that?!" Nora muttered, clearly showing some anger while Ren maintained the scowl that he had aimed at Jaune.

Sun and Neptune quickly shut their mouths as they didn't anticipate the sudden shift of tone that both Nora and Ren had on their looks and manner of speech. Jaune was moderately startled by Nora's harsh tone and he faced the two of them only to be greeted by his two friends who were mad at him in just a blink of an eye.

Jaune immediately knew that he set the two of them off by what he said and even he hated himself a little bit looking back at what he just said. If he had the opportunity, Jaune would punch his face in a heartbeat because of being so insensitive and hurting his friends. He promised that he would never forget Pyrrha and he wanted to reassure both Ren and Nora that he still loves her after all of the time that had passed.

He made a weak smile as he looked in both Ren and Nora's eyes as he clutched the red sash that was wrapped around his waist. It was an ode to Pyrrha's memory and he wanted to carry something around to make him feel that she was still around and emulate the warmth that she gave him.

"Don't worry guys, I'm still taken" Jaune uttered, holding the red sash.

This immediately registered within Ren and Nora's mind as an apology for what he had said and a reminder that she was still her one and only love. They both felt sorry for getting mad at Jaune so quickly as they knew that if it hurt for them, then it must have been double the pain for him.

In order to make amends and patch up their little argument, Ren and Nora scooted closer towards Jaune as Nora wrapped him around in a hug while Ren placed his arm along their shoulders to join in on their embrace. Sun and Neptune stayed quiet along the whole exchange as they didn't want to interject on their personal issues. But it seemed like the three of them had made up and they looked over to Sun menacingly with the intent to get something from him.

"Well now that we're done with our drama, it's time for you to reveal yours monkey boy!" Nora demanded, back to her old bombastic self.

"Don't you want to eat first?" Sun asked, sounding a bit surprised.

"We've got your juicy story to feed on in the meantime. So why not indulge us right now"

"You heard the lady" Ren added.

Everyone on the table faced Sun and he was directly put on the spot. He didn't have any other choice but to begin his long story without him even having the opportunity to choose a way to tell it in the most efficient way. But his friends were too eager about it and Sun just thought that it would be better to just get it over with rather than have it keep bugging him for the rest of the day.

"To be honest it's a really long story so if you don't mind, I'll just give you the details that really matter, okay?"

"Its fine, now go ahead and give us everything you've got" Jaune told him.

"Well, here it goes" Sun spoke one last time before he took a huge gulp of air to prepare for the amount of words that were about to leave his mouth.

"As you all know, after the fall of beacon Blake left her teammates . I saw her running away so I decided to follow her discreetly. I knew that she wouldn't want me tailing her so I never revealed myself to her even after a few months have passed"

"I don't mean to be rude, but you sound like a totally obsessed stalker dude" Neptune commented, breaking the chain of thought that Sun had on his mind.

"It may look that way but I really just wanted to know that she's safe. And I do know that it sounds creepy so don't interrupt the story further, okay?"

"Fine, proceed"

"As I was saying, eventually I found out that Blake was headed to another continent and that place was Menagerie. Her original home and where her parents were located in. Apparently she wanted to reconnect with her parents because she hadn't seen them in a long time and I was given the opportunity to meet them as well"

"So, what were they like?" Jaune asked.

"Well, her dad was named Ghira and he was a pretty strict guy. I can tell that he really wasn't a big fan of me being in there and we both kind of got on the wrong foot together and didn't really get along quite well. But I can say that he's an honest man and we eventually set things straight"

"Blake's mom on the other hand, Kali, was really warm to me. Like Blake's dad, she was weirded out that I was accompanying her daughter but she was really quick to turn around. We spent a fare amount of time together and believe it or not, we actually sparred once. She was also really playful with the idea of me and Blake being a thing"

"Well are you two a _thing?_ " Nora asked.

Sun had to scratch his head for that question. Things were really complicated right now especially that Yang had factor to play in their relationship and he couldn't really explain their situation clearly as of the moment because he hadn't covered that part of the story yet.

"I'll answer that question later. You guys are going to need some context if you really want to help me out on this one" Sun replied.

"Anyways, we spent a few days together without much happening. She wanted to bond with her parents more so I let her be for most of the time while I wandered around their house or checked out the surrounding area. Things were pretty normal, until one day we got into a fight together"

"What did you two fight about? I know that you're all love struck with everything about her so I can't really think of a reason on why the two of you would fight" Neptune asked.

"Here's where things get interesting. Apparently, Blake was contacted by our old friend Adam and asked to meet him in a place called the Wastelands. He promised to hurt everyone who was close to her which meant that Blake felt obligated to follow through with his request even though it endangered her just to make sure that nobody else but her would be hurt"

"She didn't want to tell anybody about it but the premise of meeting with the one who caused her so much pain didn't sit with her too well and I could tell that something was bothering her. At the time, I didn't know anything about the whole thing but I decided to bug her about it because I really just wanted to help her. I'm not going to sugar coat it, she was pretty defensive and we threw out some very harsh words that night"

"The next morning, I woke up to find that she was gone without a trace. Her scroll wasn't in the room along with her weapon and she really made sure that she couldn't be traced because the only way I was able to learn about the whole thing was the letter that Adam sent to her which she threw in the trash. And without delay, I rushed over to the place that Adam indicated in the letter"

"So, were you able to stop her before she reached him?" Jaune asked.

"Hate to say it, but I was able to reach her on time but I didn't stop her from fighting him. She was too traumatized by everything that was connected to Adam and I felt that she needed to fight him she would be able to save her from herself. The bad news was that she got beaten, and I had to step in and fight Adam for her"

"Considering that the two of you are both alive and well, I'm guessing that things didn't go well for our little Faunus extremist" Ren spoke up.

"I did hear that he had to be serious just to beat him. And you do not want to see this guy get serious" Neptune added.

"It was still a huge crawl and I had to use the second part of my semblance just to trip him up. In the end it all worked out and a small side note, I actually got his weapon as a trophy for myself. Hope that I can try it out someday"

"A word of advice, please don't show that thing to Yang. We don't want another rampage and something like the sword that cut her arm off doesn't really bring any good memories to mind" Jaune advised, quickly addressing the possibility that the object could bring harmful effects to Yang's mental state.

"Don't worry, I'll bring it to our dorm once we get out of here and I'll make sure that Yang won't get to see it"

"To continue my story, Blake was severely wounded by Adam and she almost bled out in the process. All of her aura was gone so I had to make a stop in a small village to get her some help. We passed the night in there and immediately made it back to her parents the following day. It was a pretty rough time, but we got past it with nothing but a life threatening cut and a severely disfigured hand"

"That covers everything that you need to know that happened before what I'm about to tell you. I'm telling you this because I trust you enough to keep my little secret and you guys deserve the whole picture because of all the trouble that I dragged you guys into. So do you promise to keep your mouths shut about the ring?"

Jaune and Ren both nodded their heads immediately as they intended to comply with their friend's request of keeping quiet about a ring which had some implication to his relationship with Blake that they still had no idea about. But Nora decided to be playful as she wasn't immediately on board with the idea of not being able to throw any quips or subtle jokes about it. Ren was quick to rectify this as he softly pinched Nora on the shoulder so that she would also nod. Nora felt the sudden sting that Ren had inflicted on her and that made her copy their motion as well.

"So here it goes. During that time, me and Blake still hadn't gotten over the fight that we had the other night and things were still pretty sour between the two of us. Not going to lie, I was more angry than her than she was to me and I was in a really bad mood so I decided to hit the sack early that night just because I was pretty tired"

"I was almost about to doze off until the door flew wide open and Blake went inside and locked the door behind her. That got me by surprise so I initially spoke in a loud voice but she quickly told me to pipe down. And this is where things get a little bit, interesting" Sun trailed off.

"Stop teasing me and spill the beans, did you guys make out or not!?" Nora asked in a quick burst and Sun immediately blushed because of that question as it was really close to what happened that night.

"Jeez Nora, you can really be straightforward sometimes" Neptune told her.

"I just want to know if these two are actually together or not" Nora replied.

"I think we were getting to that part Nora" said Ren.

"Can I just skip over to the part that I need your help on? Things like that are really private so I'm just going straight ahead to-"

"NO!"

Sun was immediately shot down by the razor sharp stares that his four friends threw at him so much so that he felt like he would be cut just by how intensely they glared at him. It didn't help that their voices were full of so much demand and fury that the hairs on his neck stood up on all ends because of how much their voiced made him tremble.

"Blake is going to kill me if she finds out that I told you about this stuff" Sun weakly uttered.

"It's fine you're already in trouble as it is. So, give us all of the _important_ details" Nora requested mischievously.

"After she told me to quiet down, she told me not to freak out and, she started to, remove some of her clothes" Sun spoke in broken phrases, trying to muster up the will while eating up all of the shame of telling his friends about this.

This was only the first part of the more mature side of his story and it was immediately met by outrageous reactions from every single one of his friends. To his left, Sun noticed that Neptune stared at him, wide eyed and his right hand had jittered in disbelief of what he had just heard. In front of him, his three friends from Vale also had their own ways to express their thoughts about the details that he revealed.

Ren had the most tame reaction as he tried to hide the grin on his face by covering his mouth with his left hand. Jaune on the other hand had started to chuckle uncontrollably and he tried to control it to the best of his abilities as he buried his face on the table while wrapping his arms around it to conceal the high pitched sounds that he made. Nora was in so much enjoyment because of what she heard that she now thumped the table with her fists in congratulation to what Sun had experienced and it was so loud that Sun noticed that people were now staring at them due to the commotion that they were making.

"Pipe down will you. This is already embarrassing enough as it is and I don't want other people staring at us because of all the ruckus that you're making" Sun apprehended his rowdy friends.

"I think this is too much for me to handle" Jaune spoke, still trying to control the fits of laughter that tried to escape out of his mouth.

"This isn't even the best part Jauney boy. So what happens next on this spicy little adventure?" Nora asked.

"I think I'm going to die through shame because of this whole thing" Sun inferred.

"Rest assured, none of the things that you said here will leave the table" Ren assured him.

The red tint that stained Sun's face had continued to persist and he wasn't even done with the whole story. He would never think that on a day that was full of so much danger, that telling this story to his friends would be the single thing that he hated the most as a life threatening wound was much more easier to bear rather than the complete and utter embarrassment of revealing sensitive information to other people that shouldn't even learn about it.

"Before you get all excited, the only reason why she did that was because she wanted to sleep with me that night and I guess she wanted to be more comfortable"

"Are you sure that it was the only reason why she removed those clothes?" Neptune questioned.

"Looking back at it now, I'll be truthful and tell you guys that I think her own comfort wasn't really the reason why she did it" Sun confessed.

"You see, now you're finally being more accepting about the whole thing. Now, what happened next?" Nora urged him to continue.

Sun looked back to that one magical night that set everything to motion which was one of the most cherished moments of his life. He could never forget the radiant moonlight that streamed across the window that he had beside him on the small bedroom that he stayed in during his stay on the Belladonna's house. He could recount every single feature about Blake as the moonlight made her image more clear and illuminated all of her curves and made her realize how truly in love he was for her.

And how could he forget about the first ever kiss that they shared with each other. It was the one moment that he could remember that made his heart beat so fast that he felt he could pass out. Sun could remember the joy and love that they both shared with each other with their first kiss together. The feeling of Blake's body right up against him had made Sun think about her that very moment and wished that she was still right beside him.

A sudden pause had occurred after Nora asked him to continue and they noticed that Sun had a small smile creep along his face as he stared off into nothing. They could tell that the memory that he was trying to recount was a special one and it bought him a big deal of happiness. In that small moment, the four of them could tell how special Blake really was to Sun just because of how thinking about a fond memory of her could bring Sun into a state of peace that easily.

Neptune hated to interrupt his stillness but they had to keep things moving so that they may be able to help him out on some of his concerns. He didn't want to do it as he felt bad for knocking Sun out of a dream that he seemed to enjoy which spread warmth around the rest of them who also sat on the table.

"Dude, can you continue?" Neptune asked, a little bit more calmer and less energetic than his usual demeanour

"We talked for a little bit just to make things a little less awkward. But we started to get serious and to put it lightly, our emotions just started to pour out. I guess we just tried to bury our feelings deep within us because of everything that had happened before that night. Some even because of my own anxiety"

"And before we knew it, we shared our first kiss together. She was right on top of me and I couldn't believe that the girl that I loved actually had feelings for me too. She is really beautiful and to put it lightly, that night was really wonderful" Sun told them, feeling emotional because of how special that night was to him.

"So, is that good enough for you guys?" Sun asked, still wearing the blissful smile on his face.

"I think we got what we wanted. Seeing you looking all love struck and hazy just telling that little story of yours tells me that she's really special to you. I'd much rather prefer seeing you all happy about it rather than embarrassed because of the kissing part. Nora is finally satisfied!" The girl uttered, clearly touched by Sun's story.

"You're scaring me Nora. I never thought that you could actually be rational for once" Jaune remarked.

"She is a big sucker for love stories you know" Ren informed them.

"By the looks of it, the two of you are in love with each other so much. So what gives?" Neptune asked.

"Things are complicated between me and Blake and that's because of one thing"

"She has feelings for Yang too, doesn't she?" Ren tried to piece together.

Sun did nothing but nod his head in confirmation to what Ren had said. He was in a loss about how he should feel regarding the love triangle that they were stuck in. As much as he loved Blake and how much he meant to her, Sun couldn't disregard Blake's feelings and he didn't have it in himself to hold Blake back from expressing her feelings or being simply happy. Even though it was in someone else's arms. On the other hand, Sun knew that Blake also had feelings for him and the love that they had between each other was too genuine to be thrown aside that easily.

"When we started this relationship together, I already knew that she had feelings for Yang and she did too. But the one thing that she told me was that even though she loved Yang, she couldn't deny that she also loved me as well. We decided to stay together anyway and stop worrying about what could happen and instead focused on what we had" Sun explained.

"Why not just talk to Yang about it? Maybe you guys can work things out and make her understand that you and Blake are in a relationship" Neptune tried to recommend.

"I don't want to invade on the time that those two want to spend together. We all know that those two were pretty much in love back when they were still in Vale and I can tell that Yang had feelings for Blake for a very long time now, maybe even longer than I do. Yang needs her after everything that had happened to the two of them and the only reason why Blake is even in here was because she wanted to reconnect with Yang and let her know about her feelings"

"So you're just going to see what happens eventually?" Nora asked.

"I promised myself that even though we're both in a relationship right now, I won't force Blake to stay with me if she can't be fully happy. I don't want to force myself on her and if both Yang and her end up being together, then I'll cherish the time that we spent together and be happy for the two of them" Sun replied, trying to the best of his abilities to make a weak smile even though he felt grim about the thought of being left by Blake.

Even though he tried to sound composed and calm about the whole matter, Sun's friends could tell that he was very much distraught by how powerless he felt because he seemed to have no ability to influence how the whole scenario could go down. He hoped that his friends had any ideas on how they could help him cope with all of it but they were empty handed with any helpful advice that could aid him. Regardless, the one thing that his friends did know was that they could try and cheer Sun up no matter how much it took. They may not have any idea on how to get him out of the sticky situation that he was in, but knew that all that he needed right now are friends that could support him and they had no intention to hold back on fulfilling that role.

"Dude, not every relationship is perfect. You have your ups and downs and I guess this is one of the slumps that the two of you are bound to encounter along the way. But as you said earlier, you went into this relationship knowing that Blake had feelings for Yang. That means that even though you need to tackle some hardships, the time that you are willing to spend with her is worth all of the trouble that you are going through for her" Neptune spoke, trying to console his friends while placing his arm on his shoulder.

"No love story is exciting without a little conflict in it, right? You just have to push through with everything that you've got and let her know that you're still in the game!" Nora declared with a passionate fire.

"You have the opportunity to be with a person that you like and you shouldn't take that for granted. Let her know that you appreciate her and never let Blake feel that you're being distant just because of her spending time with Yang. It would just make her insecure and won't really help your situation" Jaune added to the dialogue that his friends had started.

"So even though you want Blake and Yang to reconnect with each other, make sure to still let her know that you two are together. You should be subtle about it, like giving her compliments or holding her hand from time to time. But kissing should be banned for now" Ren concluded.

Sun might've not gotten what he had asked for, but the overwhelming support that he received from his friends was certainly the next best thing. He was still clueless about his approach but his spirit was renewed and he could say that his morale was at an all time high. His friends had reminded him that not everything was lost and holding on to what he could was the only sure-fire way to ensure that he could have a chance of retaining his relationship with Blake.

"You guys really are the best" Sun complimented his supportive friends.

"We already know. And by the way, you never told us how you got that ring of yours" Nora responded quickly.

"Before we left off for Mistral, her mom pulled me to the side and gave me the ring and made me promise to give it to her no matter what. Which reminds me, I think that she'll beat me up if she finds out that I wasn't man enough to fulfil my promise. I guess that's one more thing to help me keep going" Sun recounted.

"At least now we know what we're dealing with. It's not hopeless you know. You took out Adam for God's sake and went through hell just to save her from all of that. What's a little love triangle compared to that. I believe that you can do it" said Neptune.

"Thanks man, appreciate it"

In a stroke of luck, as soon as Sun had finally gone over his story and everyone of his friends throwing their own two cents on the whole thing, their noses were suddenly assaulted by the powerful smell of food that came crashing towards them and all of their heads were instantly hooked to the same waitress that took their orders earlier, but now holding trays of food as she headed their way.

"And I thought this day couldn't be any better" Jaune told them, in response to the food that was being set on the table.

"Consider this our reward for that messy park encounter and our boy here being beat to a pulp. You can take out anyone that you want but there's no way that you can handle Goldilocks when she's mad" Neptune teased.

"Hey, you try taking a shotgun blast and a fist right in the stomach. It still hurts even with the medicine and I don't even know if I can eat as much as I do with the bruise that she gave me. I'm surprised that it hasn't healed fully yet" Sun complained.

"If that's what you're saying, I guess I could just eat your share of food if you don't want to eat" said Nora as she mocked Sun.

"Let's not be hasty, I didn't say anything about me not eating. I'm starving too you know"

"Well what are we waiting for, let's eat!" Ren invited them all.

"Let's go!" The rest of them cheered.

Clashing of utensils, chewing of meat, passing of plates and many other sounds that involved eating was the only thing that could be heard from their small table of friends. This was the first real meal that all of them had for the day and they spent no expense on trying to outdo each other in terms of consuming the most food. Neptune had told them that the servings were pretty hefty but the three newcomers seemed to underestimate the sheer size of the plates of food that were set before them.

Jaune noticed that he had already ate three to four scoops of the fried rice that Neptune had ordered and considering that they were sharing the plate across the five of them, he was surprised to see that only half of it was missing even though he remembered that Nora had even more servings than him. The same thing can be said across each dish as there were plenty more for them to eat and he thought that they would never be able to finish everything on the table.

Surprisingly, even though Sun suffered from slight pains because of the injury that he attained, it wasn't able to make a dent on his drive to stuff as much food into his stomach as possible and ate at the same pace as all of them. Out of all them, he was probably the most drained both physically and mentally due to the wild turn of events that happened in the park. The only way that he could refuel himself was to be reacquainted with the food that he had dearly missed during his time away from Mistral and he could feel himself get a little bit better because of the delicious food that distracted him from feeling fatigued.

It was safe to say that each and every one of them were satisfied by everything that was served in the table. It was hard to believe that all of them got their fair share of the whole spread and they were even shocked that Nora had to tap out even though there were still leftovers that they could eat. True to his word, Neptune was right on saying that the servings were plenty and they were very much happy to know that even if they get hungry later on, they can dig in on some of the leftover food that they could take home with them.

"Geez, you weren't lying when you said that there would be a lot of food" Jaune told Neptune.

"When our team goes here we have a bunch of leftover food that we take back to our dorm. Usually we get three meals worth of food whenever we order here so you really get the bang for your buck" Sun replied.

"Which reminds me, shouldn't we pay up and get a move on? We're pretty tired so let's pack up and rest for a while" Jaune suggested.

Upon Jaune's request, Neptune signaled over to the same girl that tended to them throughout the duration of their stay and told her to ready the bill that they had amassed.

"Shouldn't we split the bill between the five of us? Even though we're your guests, it would be rude if we let you pay for the whole thing. It should be fair since Nora ate a majority of the food and we're responsible for her" said Ren.

"It's fine, we want you to have as much fun as you can so you can keep your lien to yourself. There are many more things for you to blow your money on and this is a meal for us friends so I don't really mind"

Upon saying this, the bill that was designated to them had finally arrived and Neptune pulled out his wallet to pay for it. Sun was surprised to see that Neptune had pulled out the exact sum of lien that they needed for the bill without him rummaging for change to desperately cover the amount like he usually did. And upon closer inspection, Sun noticed that Neptune had even more lien tucked in his wallet and this made him curious on how Neptune could have so much money than normal.

"Did you steal that wallet? It looks like you're rolling in the dough right now" Sun questioned him.

"Like our three friends over here, I assumed my duties as the team's co-captain and we took on some hunting missions to cover our expenses and make some extra cash to save. I guess we went a little bit overboard because we have a lot of lien on our stash right now. Team SSSN can function without our leader you know" Neptune bragged.

"Well don't ask me for help the next time you face a pack of beowulfs. But in all seriousness, I'm proud of you guys. I can't believe that you actually took on some missions when I was gone even though you three are lazy when I'm asking you to take them on"

"What can I say? I think it's time for us to switch rankings my friend"

"We can do that, if you beat me in sparring that is" Sun challenged.

"I'm just joking. I can't even take you on if I wanted to" Neptune quickly responded.

"So, are you guys ready to go?" Sun asked the whole group.

They all agreed and stood up from the table and made their way outside of the restaurant. Ren made sure to remember the name of the restaurant before they leaved just to make a mental note that the place was a safe option to choose if they wanted to go out and eat again. They were all pretty worn out and sleepy because of the load of food that had entered their bodies. The problem was, the place that Jaune and his friends stayed in was fairly distant from that part of the commercial district.

"I hate that we have to walk all the way back to the place that we are staying at. I just want to get a nap and I'm tired! Ren, will you carry me?" Nora pouted.

"We have no choice Nora. Let's just get it over with and sleep as much as we want back in our room" Ren told Nora.

An idea had popped out of Sun's head and he remembered that their team's dorm was pretty close to where they were. It was just a short walk from where they are and their room was spacious enough for them to share if he and Neptune slept on the couch and floor. It was late in the afternoon and Sun didn't mind getting a small nap. Knowing the feeling of being both tired and drowsy, Sun decided to invite their friends over to their team's dorm.

"Hey Neptune, why not let them stay at our place for a little bit? I mean, it's not a very long walk from here and I'm pretty sure that we'll all fit if we let them stay on our beds" Sun suggested.

Nora's eyes suddenly lit up in excitement because of the idea of not walking a long distance back to their own rooms. But even though Sun had made an offer, Jaune felt like they would be a bother to them by crowding team SSSN's room.

"Are you sure about that Sun? We don't want to be a nuisance to you guys and we're not forcing you to let us stay anyway" Jaune retorted.

"Don't worry about it. It gets boring sometimes when only these guys are around and to be honest, we haven't had any real guests back in our place for a while"

"It's also the perfect time to have you guys. Scarlet and Sage are probably cleaning up the whole place if they followed what I told them and today will probably be the cleanest that our place will ever be in a while" Neptune added.

"So, are you guys game?" Sun asked.

Jaune thought the whole thing over and with the sleepiness that he felt along with Ren and Nora's, Sun's little proposition didn't sound so bad and since they were the ones who insisted, the three of them agreed to stay over at Sun's place for a while just to get a little nap.

"With that decided, let's head over there and catch some z's" Neptune remarked.

Neptune lead the way and they all headed towards the dorm that team SSSN called their home. Sun hadn't seen the place in a while and he was quite excited to set foot on it once again.

* * *

Jaune couldn't be anymore thankful that they accepted Sun and Neptune's invitation as he didn't expect that it only took five minutes or less for them to reach their dorm compared to the long walk that they would have to make just to get out of the commercial district and make their way towards the place that they originally stayed in. Sun and Neptune formally made them feel as home as possible. Contrary to what other people thought, team SSSN's room was pretty spacious compared to the rooms that most teams had in Vale. It had room for a small kitchen and a small space that looked like to be their living space and in the corner of the room sat the two bunk beds that their team supposedly used.

The first thing that all of them saw as soon as they stepped inside was both Sage and Scarlet finishing up on changing the sheets of their team's beds. The room also had a floral scent and looked well kept. This was the first time in a long time that Sun had seen their room this clean but he knew that this tidiness wouldn't last long as their team was too rowdy and irresponsible to maintain this type of quality for their room. Nevertheless, he was thankful that the two made an effort to clean the place up and even better, their air conditioning was in full swing and it gave them all sweet relief from the intense heat outside.

"Welcome back buddy! I thought that you'd drop by here first since we haven't seen you in a while. Never thought that you'd reach the hospital first" Scarlet teased.

"Nice to see you again team leader. Never thought that you'll finally get to hang out with us" Sage greeted.

"It's nice to see you two again. I promise I'll make it up to you three now that I'm here. But do you two mind that these three crash here for the afternoon?" Sun asked both Sage and Scarlet

Jaune, Ren, and Nora waved towards Sage and Scarlet as they also waved back. They didn't really know each other quite while but the three of them thought that they were pretty nice considering that they were both friends with Sun and Neptune. They honestly thought that both Scarlet and Sage would be apprehensive about letting them stay there but they didn't look a single bit irked by their presence.

"We don't mind. But to be honest, the place was so messy and we just finished cleaning everything up. Is it okay if me and Scarlet get some rest?" Sage asked both Sun and Neptune.

"Funny you should say that. Actually, all of us are here to sleep so nothings holding you back" Sun replied.

Nora heaved a loud yawn which somehow made all of them more eager to get on with their little afternoon nap. Sun decided to take the couch that was located in their small living space while Neptune took a spare sheet and a pillow to make it more comfortable for him to sleep on the floor. He didn't really prefer sleeping in there but he wanted to be hospitable to Jaune and the others. Sun had an injury so it would be fair for him to have the couch, while Scarlet and Sage were rewarded with their soft beds after the rigorous work that they had to endure just to make the place tidy for them. Neptune drew the short stick on their sleeping arrangements but he didn't have the energy to negotiate things further.

Jaune slept on the bottom half of the spare bunk bed that they occupied while Ren and Nora snuggled with each other on top. To make things more comfortable for them, they turned off all of the lights to dim the whole place and left the curtains open to let the faint sunlight in. The sun wasn't as bright as earlier and made the room faintly visible for their convenience. The air conditioning worked wonders on easing their nerves and helping them become unconscious as Scarlet and Sage were immediately knocked out only a few seconds after they hit the sack. Jaune was also quiet which meant that he had also entered the realm of sleep while Ren and Nora started to ease in while hugging each other warmly.

Sun was still awake but his eyes started to get heavier by the second. He looked over to Neptune who was still awake but only barely.

"Can you believe that technically, this is our first ever slumber party" Neptune realized.

"For a team like ours, I consider that to be pretty uncool" Sun commented while letting out a small chuckle.

"Well to be fair, we actually have a girl in here. So at least that's some points added to the coolness factor" added Neptune.

"Hey, I heard that. Don't make me come over there" Ren suddenly spoke from out of the blue. Hearing the quiet conversation that the two were having and being defensive about Nora's involvement.

"We're sorry!" Neptune quietly shouted from where he laid.

"Ren's pretty calm all the time. But mess with Nora and you'll get beaten up in no time"

"You still thinking about her?" Neptune asked, clearly talking about Blake.

"Having all of you guys certainly helps on easing my mind. But yeah, I'm still thinking about her"

"This isn't really the way that I wanted to spend the afternoon. But I can't complain too much" Sun added.

"Well I'm going to sleep now. I hope that you can figure out things between you and Blake"

Those were the final words that Neptune told Sun before he turned over to his side and join in on the others who had finally started to drift and fall asleep. Sun was finally left alone to his own thoughts but he felt too tired to start going off into a tangent and imagining scenarios that could happen between him and Blake. It now started to irritate his eyes just by keeping them open and he finally gave up on trying to stay awake. A good nap would help him heal his bruise and make him feel refreshed after a few hours. Without another second thought, Sun finally closed his eyes for the time being and said one last thing before he finally gave in.

"I hope so too"


	26. Chapter 26

Even with the heat slowly getting easier to bear with and the air being more prominent as it gets later into the day, Weiss and Yang were still struggling with the heat that they were very much unfamiliar with. Atlas was a very cold and humid place and after spending a considerable amount of time back in her home, the heat had been something that she was trying to get used to. Yang had spent most of her time riding her bike in order to make the journey to Mistral and even with the sun constantly keeping her company along the way, her fast speeds often produced a cool breeze that cancelled out the sun's heat. It was a surprise to her that it was this hot in the region and the beads of sweat across her face cemented this fact.

Meanwhile, both Ruby and Blake paid no attention to the heat that troubled both Weiss and Yang as they were in no way affected by the discomfort that plagued their friends. Team RNJR had already spent time within Mistral which gave them time to get accustomed to the heat and that included Ruby. Blake was even slightly thankful that Mistral was that temperature, as it was no match to how hot and sunny Menagerie was.

Ruby and Weiss lead their small pack to make way for both Yang and Blake while also making their way back to their room. Blake had no idea where her teammates decided to stay in so she couldn't help them in navigating around the place. Not that she would be of any use either if she did know as the whole layout of the kingdom was still one big blur to her as she hadn't even spent a week inside Mistral.

With the whole chaotic meeting behind them and finally seeing each other eye to eye after so long, Blake hoped that Yang would at least say a few words to her as they all walked together but as soon as they started to head back to their bedroom, she hadn't gotten a single sound from Yang. Not even a sigh or a disgruntled groan came from her. All that Blake saw was her eyes directly look in front of her with laser focus, as if trying to avoid any contact with her.

To help ease the awkward atmosphere around them, Ruby racked her brain on how she could strike a conversation with Blake to make her speak. Which she thought could lead to Yang loosening up even if just a little bit and make the two of them more comfortable to speak with each other.

"So Blake, mind telling us how you ended up here?" Ruby asked.

"I really want to tell you guys the whole story, but I think now's not the right place. When we settle down at your guy's place I promise that I will spill the beans on everything" Blake replied, glancing over to Yang slightly in order to check up on her.

Her thoughts of having a simple conversation to accompany their uncomfortably long walk had been immediately shot down by Blake. This did nothing but add on to the awkwardness that Ruby felt as she couldn't bear being in front of her sister and Blake while they continued to be cold to each other.

"Weiss, can't you think of any way to make the two of them talk?" Ruby sharply whispered over to Weiss, pleading for her to make some sort of plan.

"What am I supposed to do, bonk them in the head and order the two of them to talk!?"

"Considering your reputation and how you usually handle things, that doesn't seem farfetched to what you can do"

"At this point, I don't want to do anything that can provoke your sister. We don't have Jaune and the others with us in case something goes wrong"

"Then what should we do?"

"All that we can do is wait. Those two can't resist each other especially now that they can actually be together"

Ruby and Weiss couldn't help but take a small peak at the duo behind them but they did so in a way that they wouldn't be seen by either Blake or Yang. Silence had still enveloped the two of them but both Ruby and Weiss could feel that the silence that blanketed them wouldn't last very long.

Yang looked defeated and tired as she looked directly in front of her without any mind of her surroundings. She had a blank look on her face and it wasn't reassuring to see that she was still not doing well even with Blake by her side. If it were a different time, Blake would be all over Yang. Trying to comfort her as much as she could and talk as much as she wanted in order to raise her spirits up.

Blake knew that Yang was still troubled but she felt that talking to her right now isn't exactly the right thing to do. She wanted to give her some space to breathe and take in everything that had happened so far. She wasn't in the right state of mind earlier and Blake could feel that everything had started to overwhelm her and talking to her regarding their issues just might add on to all of her other frustrations.

But from the side, Blake couldn't help but feel sad because of how Yang looked. She was dealing with all of this turmoil and stress and it hurt Blake knowing that she couldn't do anything to immediately remove all of the weight that Yang had on her shoulders.

Though she couldn't do anything to help Yang directly, Blake couldn't just sit idly by and let the person that she wanted to take care of face all of her problems alone. Even though it wasn't much, she wanted Yang to let her know that she was there for her and make it known to her that she was still the old girl that she could trust even with all of the time that they spent away from each other.

She carefully slipped her left hand directly into Yang's right hand, closing her fingers to carefully wrap Yang's hand in an embrace. Blake didn't want to make it such a big deal as she wanted Yang to feel less tense and make her own presence natural to Yang once again. Even Blake didn't believe that this was finally happening and she couldn't imagine how Yang must've felt, knowing all of the things that happened to her beforehand.

The two other girls in front of them saw Blake make her move and they almost gave themselves away because of the small sounds that they unconsciously made because of the bold move that their teammate had made. Luckily, their mouths had captured the sound before they could release it and managed to cover their tracks while continuing to monitor the two and see what could happen between them even further.

Yang felt the sudden presence of Blake's hand that held her tightly and she felt her heart tug a little bit because of the sensation that she felt. This was a feeling that she hadn't felt for a long time and even without her thinking of it, it was something that she wished that she could get to experience once more if the opportunity presented itself. But even though she was able to hold Blake's hand once more, Yang tried to keep her emotions in check.

It wasn't the right moment for her to start going on about her feelings and start running her mouth about how she felt about Blake and everything that she wanted to tell her after missing her for all this time. In some sense, Yang wanted to keep things the way they are as of now. The silence that they both kept had somehow calmed her and didn't feel awkward than it was earlier and for some reason, Yang wanted to enjoy that silence while it still lasted.

Nothing even remotely interesting happened to the group after Blake held Yang's hand but Ruby saw that her sister now had a small grin that hid along her face and that made her a little bit more at ease since she knew that things had started to get a little bit more easier for the two. Regardless, the walk to make it back to their housing was still bothersome and gruelling and she couldn't wait to get a nice change of clothes to make up for all the sweat that spread throughout her clothes.

The lengthy walk had finally met its end as the four finally set foot on the entrance to the inn. Blake was the only one unfamiliar to the place so she took a good look at what the building looked like compared to the one that she and Sun stayed in. The overall theme of the inn's face wasn't very different from the place that she previously stayed in but her eyes could see that subtle nuances that it had which differentiated itself. It had much more liberty in expressing its design which made it less bland than her previous lodging and she made sure to appreciate that even if just a little.

The group made their way to their room on the second floor. Ruby held their respective key and as she started to unlock the door, she noticed that the room across theirs was still locked which meant that Jaune, along with Ren and Nora were still with Sun and Neptune who invited them out to spend some time together.

A soft click produced by the lock meant that they were finally able to enter their respective room and as soon as the door was open, Ruby made a beeline towards the bed that she and Weiss shared and spared no effort in burying her entire body within the soft mattress that sank along with her weight.

Weiss took of the white cloak that Ruby had lent to her but made sure to fold it as neatly as possible and made sure to not do anything rash with it. She will never forget how special that cloak was to her and to Ruby and in order to preserve its quality as much as possible, she made sure that the first thing that she did was make her way over to the dresser that they shared and tucked the cloak in a nice place where it could stay peacefully for the time being.

The confines of the room shielded them from the bright sunlight that struck them earlier but it barely did anything to make them feel comfortable against the high temperature. Yang decided that she couldn't take another second of the bothersome heat and went over to the small air-conditioning unit that rested on the corner of the room and she turned it all the way up for maximum effectiveness. The cool air that it produced was barely tangible but she knew that it would be much colder in a short while and they just needed to wait until it starts to kick off.

Everyone scoured to do their own thing to make themselves more at ease within their room except for Blake. She was busy analyzing how the room looked but she was disappointed to find out that it was very similar to the last room that she stayed in the difference being the number of beds and how the room looked aesthetically. Other than that, nothing else was much different as it maintained the same style that her room with Sun had along with the same type of furniture and had the inconvenience of not containing a television.

Her eyes quickly strayed away from the room and focused on the much more important thing in hand. Blake's mind still couldn't accept the fact that her old team was finally back together as she had trouble getting a grip on how to handle her emotions because of the feelings of nostalgia and happiness as she saw the faces of the people that made her life full of color. Seeing them acting like they were back in beacon made her feel warm inside.

"Guys, I can't believe that we're all together again" Blake spoke tenderly.

"Well you better believe it, because we're never ever going to leave each other ever again!" Ruby responded excitedly.

"Know that we're all settled and everything, can we start asking questions now Blake?" Weiss asked.

"I don't have a problem with that. But while we're in the middle of asking questions, why are you wearing Ruby's clothes Weiss?" she asked with amusement.

"To make things short, she basically lost all of her stuff when her plane crashed when it was attacked by a nevermore. Since Yang's clothes are pretty much too big for her, I lent her my spare outfit for the meantime" Ruby responded.

"That reminds me, you've grown since the last time that I've seen you Ruby. I think you're even taller than me at this point. Unlike Weiss over here who's still our little Ice Queen"

"We're getting a bit out of topic here. You promised us a story and we intend to get one" Weiss demanded, trying to steer the conversation to a different path rather than her growth and appearance.

"Fine, since you're all so eager, let's get it over with"

To prepare to hear Blake's long tale, Ruby removed her cloak and placed it on top of the bed to make her body feel cooler and she reminded herself to put it away in a much more appropriate area to avoid cluttering the bed that she and Weiss shared. They both sat on one side of the bed which directly faced Yang's bed as Blake took her spot on its side in order to face both Ruby and Weiss.

Blake removed her own coat to make it easier for her to feel the cold air from the AC that had started to make the air cooler as time passed. She breathed a sigh of relief because of the nice change in temperature which made up for the immense heat that bombarded her all morning.

"So, is everybody ready?" Blake asked before she started her story.

"Hey Yang, come over here quick so we can all listen to Blake" Ruby called for her sister.

They all glanced towards Yang to see what was keeping her from joining them in their small circle. Yang apparently had completely removed her base outfit which only left her signature orange tank top and her short brown shorts. She also took the liberty to tie up her large mane in a ponytail to keep it from getting too bunched up.

"Well somebody's excited to get all comfy" Weiss remarked.

"It's not my fault that you're all too focused on listening to Blake. We have all the time in the world after all"

Yang crawled on top of the bed in order to reach the side where Blake sat on and joined her on that part of the bed. Surprisingly, Yang was really open to the idea of getting in touch with Blake as she placed her right arm on her shoulders and rested her head on top of it. Suffice to say, Yang was satisfied with her current position as seen in the smile on her face.

It all happened too fast for Blake to process as her body tensed up because of the sudden contact that Yang had initiated. Her mind slowly came to terms with this and the first response that she had to Yang's actions was to create a sever blush on her face which she tried her best to hide.

Ruby couldn't help but release a small squeal to acknowledge the sweetness that Yang showed and how flustered Blake looked because of Yang's sudden kindness towards her. Even Weiss was mildly surprised by how Yang acted especially because of how gloomy she looked earlier. The small act of holding their hands together may have had a much larger impact than she intended for it to have, but Blake wasn't complaining as it made the scene much more livelier and calming compared to what may have happened if Yang continued her state of mind from earlier.

"So, where do you want me to start?" Blake asked the three of them.

"Can I ask you a favor, since I'm the one who last an arm and everything, would you mind if you just skipped to the parts that I'm interested in?" Yang asked in a shockingly happy manner.

"We're not even a single second into the story and you're already starting off with something that morbid?" Weiss responded.

"Like I care, it's all in the past now. I mean I'm not psyched about it or anything but it's much more easier if we just joke about it"

"Sis, you would not want to give Nora the opportunity to do that" Ruby warned Yang.

"As long as I get a laugh or two from her jokes then I won't mind at all. Besides, I can still do this as much as I want"

Yang bounced up with energy much to Blake's surprise. Her hands had started to approach Blake slowly and her heart had started to thump harder because of how uncertain she was on what Yang had intended to do with her. In just a few short seconds, Blake felt Yang's fingers softly rubbing softly against her pair of cat ears and she knew in that moment that she was about to be embarrassed completely in front of her teammates.

Blake couldn't control her actions as Yang got hold of her two cat ears which was only known to the people most close to her. They were very sensitive and touching them in a certain way would make her feel relaxed, even pleasure in some cases. Ruby and Weiss intently watched the weird exchange that was happening between Blake and Yang. They both stayed quiet to keep the atmosphere between the two and was very much excited to see if Blake would give in to her senses.

To make an effort to conceal her reaction to Yang caressing her ears, Blake puckered her lips to make sure that any unnecessary and lewd sounds that may come from her can be contained within her. She also closed her eyes just so she wouldn't focus on Yang's face. But even with all of the measure that she took to avoid gathering even more amounts of shame that she had already claimed, Blake's body language did not cooperate with her will as the blush that she had on her face had managed to get even more furious than before . Small beads of sweat even trickled across her cheek which made Ruby giggle a bit inside because of how much her sister had pushed Blake on the edge.

Yang knew from the look on Blake's face that she was on the brink of giving up in concealing her embarrassment as her facial features twitched and her lips starting to quiver as she tried her hardest to keep her mouth from making any suggestive sounds. But Blake could only do this for so long, and as soon as Yang pinched the tip of her ears, the sensitivity of her ears had reached its breaking point and an overflowing sensation had shot up through Blake and made her release a loud moan that managed to startle the three other girls in the room and made Yang jump off of her upon hearing Blake moan.

Everything became still after the awkward sound that swept across them. Ruby and Weiss tried to contain their laughter while Yang had a huge smile on her face because she was able to make Blake react in that way. Blake immediately realized that she her defences had been broken and the huge red that covered her face showed the humiliation that she felt as she covered her mouth with her two hands to prevent her repeating the same sound just in case.

Yang was the first one to laugh and break the silence as she was in glee that even though she hadn't seen Blake in a long time, her old habits never changed and made her more confident that she would be able to reconnect with her more easier than she expected.

"Well, it seems that the two of you are already in good terms" Weiss stated.

"To be honest, I still don't like the fact that she left us in the dark and made us worry because of the long time that she spent away from us. But looking at her now, it makes me feel much more at ease"

"I don't intend to hold back in asking questions though, you owe me that in the very least" Yang added.

"Ask away, I can even tell you what color of underwear that I used each day that I was away" Blake replied in a joking manner.

Yang was caught off guard by Blake's reply to her that she suddenly froze on reaction with only two words branded on her mind. Blake, and underwear.

"Will you really do that?!" Ruby exploded, taking Blake's remark too literally.

Thanks to Ruby's high pitched voice, Yang was able to recover from her staggered state and startled Blake because of the sudden shock to her ears. She couldn't tell whether or not Ruby was joking or was genuinely interested in facts about her underwear schedule.

To sate Ruby's unreasonable interest in Blake's undergarments, which Weiss expected to come from Yang, the cold hearted Ice Queen gave Ruby a soft smack on the back of her head to screw her brain back in.

"You dolt, that's not important to any of us. I bet that she doesn't even remember what color underwear she used yesterday" Weiss argued.

"To think that Ruby would be the one to start all of this underwear talk. How times have really changed" Yang stated, laughing at the idea of her sister starting the meaningless conversation in the first place.

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake, joined in on Yang's laughter as they all revelled on the presence of each other and the feeling of having each other once again. It gave them the feeling that things were back to the way that they should be and it made them happy that their small family was once again back together in one piece.

"So, are we finally done joking around?" Weiss asked.

"Okay, now it's time to be serious" Blake told them.

"Well let me kick things off, where did you go in the first place?" Yang started to ask.

Blake started to recount the events that happened during the fall of beacon up until the time that she left for Menagerie. She couldn't control her voice having a small tinge of fear mixed into it, as the memories that she had during those times were traumatic for her and the rest of her team and Blake couldn't imagine going through that experience all over again.

"All of the events that happened during the Fall of Beacon was terrible to say the least. From Cinder declaring war, the Grimm invading the city, to Adam leading the white fang, everything was just too much for me to handle"

"During the time, I just wanted to get away from everything. To run away just like I did before because it was the only thing that I knew how to do when faced by immense pain. I decided to go back to my home, back in Menagerie"

"That's where a majority of the Faunus live right?" Ruby asked.

"Yep, I was born and raised there but I haven't been back ever since I joined the White Fang. I haven't set foot on that place ever since and haven't seen my parent's faces either too. It was my first time meeting them since I joined the White Fang and I wanted to set things straight with them after having no one else to go to after I ran away"

"How long did it take you to get there? I mean, air travel was restricted and Menagerie isn't really the closest place to Vale" Weiss told Blake.

"It took a few months to get to a port that had a ship that could take me to Menagerie. Surprisingly, it only took a week or so to dock on Menagerie's shore, but not everything was smooth sailing during the whole trip"

"A massive Grimm attacked the ship along the way. The only defence that our boat had against it was its massive canon. But even though we had that much firepower, the Grimm was fast as it zipped across the water and flew with the wings on its back" Blake stated as she described the Grimm's description and actions.

"I would have been excited to fight something as big as that" Yang commented.

"When you're the only huntress on the boat that's prepared to fight a giant Grimm face to face, you feel more fearful for your life rather than excited. At least that's what I thought at first, because surprise, I wasn't the only one on the ship who knew how to fight"

"You had another huntsman on board the ship? Do we know who it was?" Ruby asked.

"I'll let you take a guess on who that someone was" Blake told them.

"Please don't tell me that it was Sun" Weiss hoped.

"As much as I hate to say it, you're right. I noticed earlier that someone in a hood was stalking me around and I thought that it was a member of the White Fang out to hunt me. Turns out it was just Sun"

"That clears everything up. I was wondering why Neptune and his friends were out here while Sun was with you. I can't believe that he followed you all the way to Menagerie. But isn't that a little bit creepy though?" Ruby spoke as she bought this to Blake's attention.

"How come?"

"It seems like you didn't know that he was following you in the first place and if it took you months to reach the port in the first place, wasn't he following you for months without you even knowing?"

"Now that I think about it, it is quite weird. But if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be able to sit with the three of you right now so I'm thankful that he followed me"

"After taking down that Grimm, it was pretty much smooth sailing from then on. And in a few weeks or so, me and Sun finally arrived in Menagerie"

"I imagined that you got stranded in some island or you found trouble in finding transportation back to your home, but that doesn't seem to be the case. But how come it took you this long to track us down and join us?" Yang asked.

"The trip didn't have any problems besides that large Grimm and I wanted to spend some time with my parents. But that doesn't mean that I didn't want to see you guys. I could have gotten here much earlier but I only managed to catch a trip on a much later date because of some... problems that I had to take care of" Blake explained.

"Such as?" Weiss inquired.

"Here's the thing, I know that my past had come to bite me back in more ways than one. But I never thought that it would still follow me back to the only place that I thought was safe. Everything was relatively quiet and peaceful in the first few days of our stay in Menagerie, until he showed up again"

As Blake recalled her most recent memories of Adam, fear still lingered with her voice even if he was already done and dealt with. Her eyes also looked depressed and frightened which both Ruby and Weiss noticed as they were face to face with her. Yang felt that something had started to bug Blake and a small part of her already knew who the person Blake alluded to.

"Who is he?" Ruby asked in a worried tone.

"It was Adam, out of all the people from my past that would come back to torture me it just had to be him"

The three girls could tell that Blake had become more distraught upon mentioning their old foe's name and Yang could feel a burning rage starting to swell from inside her because of the painful memories that she received from him. Weiss started to become more concerned with Blake's current condition as she thought that Blake was still in the process of recovering after the horrible experience that she may have suffered in Adam's hands.

"Hey, if you're not ready to tell us about it we can wait. I don't want you bringing up painful memories against your will" Weiss informed Blake.

Blake waved her hand in protest of what Weiss had said. She suddenly got her bearings back as Blake realized she had already dealt with the pain a long time ago. Guilty was the only feeling that she thought would be appropriate for her to feel as Blake didn't mean to alarm her friends. Memories that involved Adam felt like a thing in a distant past and the only reason why she reacted that way upon remembering him was that she forgot how much torture she endured during those times.

But that didn't matter to her anymore and her confidence once again returned to her after a little bit of contemplating. Her lips formed into a subtle smile to let her teammates know that she was fine and to throw away the worries that they had for her.

"Sorry, I think I overreacted a little bit there. To be honest, I forgot about how scary these memories are because all I've felt after going through them is happiness" Blake confidently shouted.

"So, you're okay about telling us what he did to you?" Yang asked as she tried to make sure that Blake wasn't being disturbed by her own memories.

"It's okay Yang, I can handle it. Besides, it makes for a very exciting story"

"Anyway, I received a letter from Adam which basically threatened to kill my whole family if I didn't comply to what he wanted. He ordered me to meet him in a place called the Wastelands. It was a desolate place that is devoid of any life and is basically a huge dessert without any people in it"

"I didn't know what to do at that time. I knew what Adam was capable of and that he wouldn't hesitate on raiding our whole village just to follow through with killing my parents. I knew that it would be dangerous for me to go alone without anyone knowing because I would be in a place where I could be trapped without any help to rely on"

"Why didn't you just get your parents involved, couldn't they have done something to help you with Adam?" Ruby spoke.

"I saw Adam fight back when I was partnered to him and I know very well that I couldn't rely on my parents to help me beat him in a fight. At the same time, he had the White Fang on the palm of his hands and many lives could have been shed I involved anyone other than me"

"I decided that I was the only one that could bring an end to his schemes and finally face the past that I've been running from. I thought that maybe I could talk him out of it because of our past together, and when worse come to worst, there was nothing I could do but face him in a life or death situation"

"But now, I think that it was the worst possible choice that I could have picked and I couldn't have been more stupider. Turns out, I overestimated both me and Adam because I completely lost. To top it all off, I got these little numbers after the whole incident"

Blake stretched out the part of her skin on her chest where she was stabbed clean through by Adam for the second time, the first being the Fall of Beacon. She also showed them her other scar which was located in her right thigh as Blake pulled up the right sleeve of her pants to reveal the mark that she received due to facing Adam.

"It doesn't really hurt anymore, but it does bug me that every time I face myself in the mirror with my usual outfit, I see two dark lines where I was stabbed. That doesn't really spell out cute to anyone who sees it"

Blake commented, trying to make fun of the scars that she had which did a number on her figure because of how they looked on her skin.

"Ehh, I still think that you're really cute. As a matter of fact I think those scars look pretty cool. Now I can really call you a feisty cat because of them"

Yang complimented Blake despite her earlier comments of not being pleased with them. She gladly accepted Yang's comment and she laughed at the fact that someone like her could think that scars looked "cool".

"But that doesn't explain how you managed to make it out alive. Did he let you live or something?" Weiss wondered.

"Don't be silly, he would never do that. I guess I got lucky that one stubborn blonde boy never gave up on me and managed to save me from completely bleeding out by myself on a lonely dessert"

"Sun rescued you?!" The three girls managed to make out even with the sheer surprise of what they just heard.

"I know it's pretty hard to believe, but I owe him a lot after saving my life"

Blake's face had another sudden transformation but this time it wasn't due to fear, but more on guilt and remorse which nonetheless made Yang, Weiss, and Ruby wonder about how the two interacted with the time that they spent together.

"If he saved you, then why are looking so down?" Weiss noted.

Even though a majority of Blake's memories with Sun were full of color and life, she couldn't just simply bury the fact that she treated him like trash before she truly realized her feelings for him. Blake never forgot the night that sent her spiralling down to her near certain death just because she was too stubborn to realize that Sun just wanted to give her a shoulder to lean on.

"It's because I didn't deserve his help. Not after the things that I've said and how I treated him before I fought Adam"

"Don't say that, you're a person worth saving no matter what and I'm sure that Sun wouldn't want it any other way" Yang uttered.

"You don't understand, the night before my fight with Adam went down, she confronted me about how I looked gloomier than usual. I already knew that I had to do something about Adam and my mind was at its wits end but I still tried to hide how distraught I was"

"But even then, Sun was able to see right through me and he knew that I was troubled by something and wanted to know how he could help. But as you know, old habits die hard, because once again I pushed him out just like I always do when I had a problem"

"I thought that it would be easy for me to just shrug him off, but that time was different. He finally got tired of me running from my problems and actually fought back even though I tried my hardest to discourage him from pursuing the subject any longer. But me being as stupid as I was, we got into a fight and to this day, I still regret the things that I told him"

Yang couldn't bear the sad look that Blake had on her face. Blake's statement about how Sun helped her out even though she treated him with such hostility had given Yang a bigger sense of respect towards him as she couldn't imagine trying to help a person who doesn't want it and actually succeeding. Surprisingly, a hint of jealousy welled up from her that was directed towards Sun.

"Come on, cheer up! At least you know that someone cares for you enough that they help you even though you didn't want it. Hell, I wish that I could say the same. I mean, maybe if I just followed you like he did, I might've had the ability to talk you out of it or at least do something to prevent you from suffering like that"

Yang trailed off as she tried to lift Blake's spirit up as she was suddenly face to face by how frail she had become after she paid the price for protecting her. All that she did was mourn and sulk about how she had lost everything for months on end without even making an effort to stand back on her own two feet until just recently. She knows that it was natural for her to be like that but Yang also knew that she could have acted much earlier than she should have.

Lost opportunities and tons of chances for her to track Blake down were swept in the wind because of how much she resented her during that period of time. She felt selfish because of her petty grudge against Blake and it made her feel awful to think that Blake's safety was entrusted to another person's hands just because she wasn't strong enough.

The tears had started to form in the back of her eyes and it wouldn't take much effort for her to start crying because of her sudden reservations about herself. Ruby noticed that her sister's eyes looked murkier than they should be and by then she knew that Yang was about to let some tears form.

"Yang, don't be so hard on yourself. Don't cry just because-"

"Ouch!"

Yang suddenly felt a sharp pain coming from her right cheek as she felt two fingers pinching her skin. It managed to make her tears dissipate and made her look over to Blake who had a smile on her face as she continued to apply pressure with her two fingers.

"What did you do that for!?" Yang shouted in annoyance.

"You do know that you're being a little bit of a drama queen right now, right?"

The blonde girl was taken aback by Blake's surprisingly comical response to her depressing words. Blake even had a small smile on her face while acknowledging her actions, letting Yang know that all she wanted was for her to cheer up.

Yang managed to calm down a little bit and that made Blake let go of her throbbing cheek which she started to rub slowly to ease the pain that persisted in her skin.

"Yang, you shouldn't be feeling bad about yourself. Even if you did find some way to catch up to me and try to talk me out of doing what I did, I don't think that it would have made a difference. Even if it was you who tried to persuade me"

"I was bent on doing things my way that any rational thought that others had would just be thrown out of the window. In some demented way, I'm thankful that I paid the price for my stupidity and realize that my way of thinking was wrong"

These words managed to resonate within her teammates and they could all feel that change of heart that Blake underwent during her time away from them. Blake was an enigma that the three of them tried to understand piece by piece and throughout the time that they spent together as friends, they managed to learn things about her that not all people knew and made their relationship with her almost family like in nature.

But now, it's as if Blake was an open book whom all of them could read. Neither Ruby, Weiss, or even Yang sensed any hidden secret or intent that Blake wanted to hide as her story and supporting statements were filled with sincerity and emotion behind them that they all wholeheartedly believed the pain that she underwent along her journey. But among all of them, Yang was the proudest to see Blake transform to what she currently was and made her happy that she was able to stand on her own two feet and witness the moment that continued to unfold right before her eyes.

"So, mind continuing the story?" Ruby requested.

"Of course, we're getting to the juicy part anyway" Blake replied.

"Anyways, the morning after my fight with Sun I decided to run off first thing in the morning with my weapon in hand to finally deal with Adam once and for all"

"I reached the Wastelands after travelling for hours. I fully expected for him to have some White Fang members to ambush me on the spot. But I couldn't believe how personal this matter was to him, because as it turns out, he was the only one there besides me"

"This might be too much to ask, but what is your connection to Adam? Why is he obsessed with you so much that he'd threaten to kill your family if you didn't face him?"

This was a question that Blake had wanted to avoid at all costs. Blake's relationship with Adam was a complicated one to address as she didn't want Yang out of all people to know that she shared something special with the man who cut off her arm. But a promise was a promise and she vowed to tell her friends everything about her story and the questions that they would ask along the way. She could simply lie, but Blake couldn't bring herself to do that because it would only be betraying not only her friends, but her own words too.

"Guys this is a bitter pill to swallow but I need to let you know"

"You had a relationship with him, didn't you?"

Before Blake could say anything, Yang had already come to the conclusion that Blake had yet to state as she bought up the fact that both Adam and her had a relationship in the past. Blake suddenly felt nervous because of how Yang stated that fact but the only thing that greeted her was a blank look on her face which Blake couldn't read any emotion from.

"Trust me, it's not something that I'm proud of and it only lasted during my time with the White Fang. What might have triggered her obsession was the fact that when we were on a mission together, I suddenly ran from him from out of the blue without even saying anything before I left. Trust me, that's the only thing that we have between the two of us"

Blake didn't even look at both Ruby and Weiss as the only thing that she was concerned with was Yang's feelings about her revelation. She was afraid that she would anger Yang once again after all of the progress that she made in order to try and reconnect with her. For a second, Blake thought that Yang would storm out of the room and never return.

The only thing that Blake got from all of her worries was Yang suddenly letting out a somewhat lazy sigh as she stretched both of her arms and before they knew it, she had already reverted to her much relaxed state from earlier.

"Well if you tell us that that's the only thing that you two had, then I believe you. But I've got to say, I never thought that you would be into the crazy psycho types" Yang teased.

Other than Blake, the three of them had suddenly turned to making fun of her ties with Adam by using laughter even with all of the seriousness that she tried to add to her tone. Nevertheless, Blake would much rather prefer that they make fun of the whole situation rather than being negative about things in the past that she had already dealt with.

"Now that we're done tackling and making fun of my love life, let's head back to the part where I almost got killed" Blake continued telling her story.

"After exchanging a few words with him, it was decided that only one of us was going to make it out alive. We threw away the things that we shared in the past and the only way that I could finally face my past was to either end up dead or win against the monster who took away everything from me"

"Without anymore hesitation, we finally clashed blades till the very end. To be honest, I really thought that I had a chance since I was getting good hits in and I managed to push him over the edge. But in the end, the deciding factor was his semblance which I completely lost to even though I fought him with that in mind"

"In one swift strike, my chest got hit by his sword and it stopped me from my tracks as I tried to finish him off before he could use his semblance. As it turns out, he knew what I wanted to do and he faked me out by releasing his blade earlier than I expected"

"Pain was the only thing that I could feel and I tried my best to prevent myself from bleeding out. The color around me had started to get paler around me and I could feel my own blood pooling around me. I'm over it now, but I can never forget about that feeling no matter how much I try"

"I'm sorry that you had to experience that" Weiss stated with sympathy.

"And if that wasn't enough, Adam approached me with murderous intent as he stabbed me right in my thigh. At that point, the pain that shot through me was indescribable and some parts of my body felt numb because I was bleeding from two sides. I thought that was it and the only thing that I could do was brace myself as Adam was about to finish me off with one last strike"

"But as fate would have it, Sun was there the whole time. Watching from the side because he wanted me to deal with my past. Even then, he didn't lose fate in me and some part of him even thought that I could win it all because he didn't interfere until the last moment just to make me feel the satisfaction of facing my own monsters"

"Then what happened? Did he run away while he carried you or did he bring some help along with him?" Ruby hastily asked as she was completely engrossed by Blake's story.

"Funny you should ask that. Because of all the blood that I lost, I passed out before I could see anything"

"What!?" The three girls suddenly screamed.

"So there's a chance that Adam is still out there and ready to come and get you!?" Ruby inferred.

"I didn't say anything about that and I also didn't say that I don't know what happened afterwards" Blake reasoned.

"But what happened to Sun and how did you two make it out alive?" Yang pestered Blake to finally tell them all the truth.

"From what I could gather, Sun challenged him after he rescued me. I regained consciousness for a few moments and the only thing that I could remember from that time was that it was already dark and I could see Adam and Sun duking it out in the distance. In just a few blows, Sun had managed to beat the life out of Adam but I could tell that they were at it for a while"

"I was shocked to say the least because I didn't know that Sun was there along with me and I thought that I had already died a few hours earlier. Every part of my body hurt, every color around me seemed darker than usual, and the world was spinning around me. I guess my body couldn't take it and I ended up passing out again till the next morning"

"With Adam dealt with and my wounds tended to by a man that Sun met, we headed straight back home to my parents first thing in the morning. The bad news was that because of my right thigh, I couldn't walk properly so Sun had to carry me halfway through for us to make it before sundown. I still haven't thanked him enough because he carried me behind his back without him even complaining a single time"

"And that's the end of the climax of my story. When we got back to my parent's house, we spent all of our days in there until the next ship to Mistral was about to set sail and that leads us to where we are now"

Blake had finally concluded her long story which spanned all of the events that happened during her stay in Menagerie and all of the challenges that she faced in order to reunite with her team. Her friends were impressed that Blake was able to tell them an accurate account of what happened to her and they were content to finally tie up the loose ends that had persisted throughout the period of time that Blake spent away from them.

"The fact that your story would be a big rollercoaster of action and drama is very unthinkable for a person like you since you're so reserved and serious. But I have to say, I think that you have the most entertaining story to tell out of all of us" Weiss spoke.

"Yeah, and to think that someone like Sun would be a key person to your journey. From saving you to a giant Grimm, actually standing up to you when you were all emo like, and finally beating your nemesis in just one try while rescuing you from near certain death. It's as if he's your knight in shining armor" Ruby told Blake enthusiastically.

"You could say that"

Blake said this while trying to sound less excited than she really was. A small blush had also reappeared on her face while a grin crept along her lips just because she heard Sun's name. Unbeknownst to her team, Blake had omitted parts of her story which was directly tied to her relationship with Sun. It was still an issue that she did not know how to bring up especially because of her reserved feelings for Yang and the underlying problem that she would be completely battered by both Weiss and Ruby considering that they were both curious about her love life more than they should be.

"Sun must be a really good friend if he went out of his way just to make sure that you were safe" Ruby added.

"Yeah, I'm very lucky to have him"

Blake slipped up a little bit as she replied to Ruby as she sounded more adoring compared to the rest of her other statements. This tugged at Yang a little bit and it only managed to confirm one of her suspicions that she had when she learned that both he and Blake spent all that time with each other.

Yang freely acknowledged her romantic feelings for Blake and even with all the time that had come to pass and the resentment that had boiled within her when she was bedridden for months, her love and care for Blake managed to persist even with all of the pain and sadness. Yang wanted to be more forward than ever before regarding her feelings for Blake because she wanted to make the most out of the newly given time that was given to them.

Knowing that there was a chance that Blake was already engaged in a mutual relationship, Yang had to appease her suspicions in order to make sure that she wasn't over thinking things and to plan for an appropriate action regardless of the result.

"Blake, before we finally freshen up and decide what to do with our free time, can I ask you one last thing? And please promise me that you will answer truthfully"

Blake's heart suddenly leapt out from her chest because she already knew that Yang had planned to ask her. Her emotions for Sun and Yang were still a big mess and Blake didn't know if she was ready to digest that she was already invested in her relationship with Sun. Much so that based on their earlier interaction in the park, Sun might've theoretically planned to propose to her if it weren't for the sudden interruption that happened in the middle of it.

"Ask away" Blake replied as she tried to hide the anxiousness behind her words.

"It's about Sun, what is he to you?" Yang asked without hesitation.

An aura of awkwardness had suddenly enveloped the whole room and both Ruby and Weiss had the biggest urge to rush out of the room in order to avoid the discussion that was about to take place. This was a conversation that they didn't want any part of because both Ruby and Weiss' hearts would not be able to contain themselves from giving out because of what could happen depending on Blake's answer.

"I think me and Weiss should leave, don't you think so too Weiss" Ruby tried her best to weasel out of it while also trying to bail Weiss out along with her.

"Yeah Ruby, I wanted to take a walk anyway so why don't we just head out for a while and let these two talk it out" Weiss added onto what Ruby had just said in order to string up a dire excuse for them to avoid hearing the exchange that was about to happen between Yang and Blake.

Before they could make a hasty retreat out of their room, Yang shot them a menacing glare with her crimson eyes and they were enough to make them cower in fear and sit back down on the bed that they shared. It was clear that Yang wanted all of them to know the truth even if it meant that both Ruby and Weiss would have to endure the uncomfortable nature of her question.

"Come on, just answer me. I promise I won't bite"

Yang had put their conversation back on track as she continued to press Blake for an answer. Blake was more nervous than ever before as she didn't know what to tell Yang. It would be hard for her to explain that she had a relationship with Sun while at the same time having romantic feelings for her too. They needed to talk about it more thoroughly at some point but it couldn't be done with both Ruby and Weiss in the room.

But based on the glare that Yang gave the two of them, she wanted them all to know the truth even though Yang would be the only one to receive some kind compensation for learning about Blake's relationship with Sun. In some sense, it was a way for her to come clear to all of them and forbade her from keeping any secrets.

"Will it help you if I tell you the truth?" Blake asked cautiously.

"Lying won't benefit any of us. I'd rather take the shot now rather than do something stupid later"

Blake knew that Yang would stop at nothing until she gave her the truth even if it was something that wouldn't sit well with her. She even made a valid point that lying would only cause them problems later on. Blake braced herself for whatever Yang's reaction maybe and as she drew one huge breath, she spat out her true connection to Sun.

"We've been together for a while now. It started after Adam was dealt with and we've been together ever since. Even until now"

On reaction, Ruby leapt closer to Weiss and hugged her right arm because she wanted to keep as much distance as she could away from Yang because of the sour thoughts that she might have had because of Blake answering her question. Weiss added onto this as she scooted ever so slowly towards the foot of their bed while keeping her eyes glued at Yang.

Blake's palms had started to sweat and she felt her legs quivering little by little for no apparent reason. She expected Yang to react to what she had just said but all she did was continue staring at her, but she couldn't sense anger or hostility from her.

The air felt colder to Blake and it wasn't because of the air conditioning that was already on blast. She could feel her spine tingle because of her fear that Yang had turned into a ticking time bomb that could explode at any moment. Neither she and Yang had moved from their spot and their stare down continued to be more tense each passing moment.

To their surprise, Yang turned her head towards Ruby and Weiss who both let out a harsh shriek because they were startled by the blonde.

"What are you two doing? It's like you saw a monster or something" Yang told the two of them.

"Considering what you did earlier and from what you just heard, I think it would be reasonable for us to think that sis" Ruby reasoned out.

"I guess I did make a big mess earlier. Well I promise to not throw a big tantrum like that ever again, my hair might fall off if I get that angry again"

Ruby and Weiss were a little bit stumped because of how calmly Yang acted. Ruby let go of Weiss' arms as the two of them eased up because it seemed that Yang was somehow stable even though they both expected her to overreact and cause another ruckus.

However, this was short lived as Yang quickly darted over to Blake who then leapt from her seat because of Yang's rapid movements.

"As for you, I can't really say that I have anything against it. I mean, you two seem happy together from what I can gather and I don't really have a say on who you should and shouldn't be together with"

"Are you sure that you're okay?" Blake asked with concern for Yang.

"I mean I'm okay with it and all, but I'm just a little bit disappointed"

Blake felt a dagger go right through her heart as she heard those words come straight out of Yang's lips. She knew deep inside that this moment was bound to happen in one way or another and it even seemed that she got lucky because of Yang's somehow calm outlook towards it. Nonetheless, she couldn't prepare for the pain that came her way because Blake knew full well that she had hurt Yang in some capacity even though the blonde tried to act normally in front of her.

Yang scratched her head as she tried to think of a way to coherently voice her thoughts in a calm manner. Though she would admit that it was a hard task since all of her hopes were completely shot down in an instant and she wouldn't mind shedding a few tears to let her frustrations out even if just a little. But Yang knew that she couldn't do that because Ruby and Weiss would just be worried and Blake might feel guilty about her choices. Yang didn't want to make Blake feel that her relationship with Sun would destroy their chances of reconnecting with each other, so with all of her might, Yang drove away her tears at least for the time being.

"I'm disappointed by the fact that I didn't even get a chance you know. I thought that now that I've seen you again, I can start to finally open up to you by how I really feel. But I can't really blame you on that one can I" Yang voiced out.

"Yang just let me explain" Blake tried to continue her conversation with Yang and she even moved closer to her and grabbed hold of her hand just to keep her in place.

However, Yang was quick to remove it from Blake's grip and instead place her right hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Blake, don't worry about me. I'm not mad at you or at Sun in any way. Though I will admit that I do feel like crap right now" Yang ended as she tried to compose herself, even making a small smile just to reassure them that she was okay, even though she wasn't really in the best of moods.

Blake wouldn't be able to live herself if she couldn't do anything to make Yang feel better about herself. None of this was her fault and it felt like Yang was taking the brunt of it all even though she shouldn't because little did Yang know, Blake and even Sun himself was very much intent on letting her spend some much deserved time with Blake. The problem was, Blake couldn't find the words that she needed to let Yang know about it.

"How about we take a break for now? It's starting to get dark and I've finished telling my story anyway. If you're ready, I want to talk some more with you Yang"

Blake had suggested that they all take some time off to get some rest and prepare to rest as they didn't notice that the sun had started to set. Their day wasn't really the most relaxing one and each one of the girls were tired in their own way but the one thing that they got out of it was that they were all back again and that was all that mattered.

"It's starting to get dark out guys. Wouldn't be it great if we all take a bath and freshen up to cool our heads for a little bit" Ruby suggested.

"That sounds great, do you mind if I go first sis?" Yang asked in a sombre tone.

"Uh, sure sis" Ruby worryingly replied back.

Yang yawned as she stood from her bed and stretched her arm outwards. They sat on their butts for quite a while and her body was felt a little bit sore so she wanted to move around and get some warm water to cool her nerves and have some alone time to herself.

"Well if you're going first I'm going to call second. As much as I appreciate Ruby lending me her clothes, I can't wait to get into clothes my own size" Weiss remarked.

"Ohhh, I'm sure that Ruby can't wait to see what you got in store for her Ice Queen"

Once again, Yang tried to make herself think less about Blake by trying to fool around and not think about her too much. Yang wanted to save that for later when she was alone in the shower and if she could hold out until then, she could cry as much as she wanted as long as she didn't make noise to alert any of her friends.

"Well somebody's looking all fine and dandy considering that they just got their heart broken a few seconds ago"

Weiss forgot to tone down her abrasiveness for this one occasion and she immediately covered her mouth because she managed to shock herself because she said something as harsh as that. Even Ruby was displeased by Weiss' behaviour as she punched her in the shoulder to punish that rude comment.

Somehow, Yang was not even bothered in the slightest by what Weiss just said even though it was really out of hand in terms of what she was dealing with. Even so, the fact that Weiss didn't hesitate on making that comment actually made Yang ease up even if just a little because it made everything feel normal somehow.

"I'm surprised Ice Queen, you aren't pulling your punches at all. But thanks by the way, you acting so normal made me feel motivated to cheer up" Yang told Weiss.

"But since you're trying so hard to get on my nerves, I can't promise that I'll pull my punches too"

With that last remark that Yang made to Weiss, she added a little bit of flare to keep Weiss on her toes by turning her eyes red. With the new found information that Yang learned about their fear of her tantrums, this was a new trick that she could add to her arsenal to mess with them just a little bit.

"You do know that you could have died right now, right?" said Ruby.

"I really need to work on controlling the words that come out of my mouth" Weiss replied back.

"By the way Blake, do you want to go after Weiss?" Ruby asked Blake regarding their turn on the showers.

"Well I would take you up on that offer, but I don't really have my stuff with me right now"

"Can't you just get your stuff from the place that you stayed in?" Yang butted in.

"It's a little bit far from here and I don't really feel like going all the way there just for a fresh set of clothes. Maybe I can just pick it up in the morning"

"Looks like it's time for Ruby Rose to lend another set of her clothes!" Ruby announced in her usual energetic tone.

Blake had completely forgotten that she didn't have any clothes to wear for the night and it was such bad timing too since she really wanted to have a nice hot shower before she went to bed. She started to consider the option of re-using her clothes or borrowing some clothes from Ruby, but that meant that she would be tossing and turning all night since she wasn't used to sleeping without her nightgown that she had gotten accustomed to.

A knock on the door had cut their conversation short as they all heard it in unison. They thought that it must have been Jaune and the others since it was already dark out and they must've been tired after the time that they spent out with Sun and Neptune.

Blake decided to answer it out of courtesy and she hadn't really talked a lot with Jaune along with Ren and Nora so she wanted to take the opportunity to chat with them for a little. Little did she know that the three of them had indefinitely collapsed back in team SSSN's dorm without any chance of waking up for the night.

"Hey guys, sorry that I haven't been talking to you a lot-"

Blake prepared to greet her three friends as she opened the door but she was surprised to see her bag in front of her and to her shock, Sun stood there to hand it over to her.

"Good evening guys, just wanted to drop this off before I pass out for the night" Sun greeted the three other girls.

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang waved over to acknowledge Sun's presence. Although Yang looked a little bit gloomy as she did this which caught Sun's attention.

"What are you doing here, and where is Jaune, Ren, and Nora?"

"After we had lunch, we decided to take a little nap back in our place just to get some rest. But instead, they're pretty much out cold and I didn't really want to wake them up so you can call it an accidental sleepover"

"Sorry that they had to bother you guys" Ruby apologized.

"It's no big deal, we're all friends after all" Sun stated.

"Thanks for getting my stuff for me, I really didn't feel like going back to our room at this time" Blake said as she appreciated what Sun did.

"Don't mention it. If you don't mind, I'll leave you guys be, so have fun for the night!"

Sun was just about to leave to give their team some time to themselves. But seeing Sun made Blake remember their talk from earlier. Blake's mind was suddenly in the state of unrest as the thought of him proposing earlier had once again inhabited her thoughts. Even though it wasn't the right time to discuss it, Blake couldn't control the urge to ask Sun about it to get some closure and keep her steady heart from beating any faster.

"Sun, can I ask you about something before you leave?"

"Yeah, sure. What's it about kitty cat?"

"About earlier, in the park. Before everything went crazy and the punches started flying, what were you going to ask me?"

Blake tried to keep her voice as quiet as possible in order to avoid suspicion, but she was scared that her trembling would give her away because she barely mustered up the courage to ask Sun that question. Sun was caught off guard by Blake's question and it immediately sent him into a full on panic. He almost dropped the bag that he held on his hands but he tried his best to remain calm and deny any knowledge of what Blake asked about.

"I forgot about it too. What was I going to say again?" Sun asked, trying to sound that he completely forgot about the whole ordeal about his talk with Blake.

"I mean before Yang and the others came, while we were having our moment under the tree. What were you going to ask me?"

Trying to disregard the conversation that he and Blake had under that tree was now out of the question. It was a moment that had too much weight on it that Sun can't simply deny that he was about to ask Blake something because by the looks of it, Blake had also remembered each second that they spent under that tree much like he did.

"It's nothing important, don't worry about it. I'll ask about it another time when we have some time together, okay?" Sun replied back in a much more laidback and composed tone.

"If you say so"

Blake had finally given up on trying to squeeze out an answer from Sun. She thought that if her hunch was right, Sun would have probably slipped because of how nervous he would be but that didn't seem to be the case. Maybe she was just thought way too much about it because it was the heat of the moment and Blake was starting to calm down a little bit more as her previous ideas had started to be debunked based on Sun's current demeanour.

Sun had narrowly dodged another bullet out of all the other bullets that were fired right at him that same day. It looked like he could finally have a good night's rest to heal the bruise that still stung a little bit even with the small nap that he took. He was just about to leave, but Sun couldn't take his eyes away from Yang who looked sullen as she stared at both him and Blake while they talked to each other.

He knew that Yang was feeling that way because she had probably learned about his relationship with Blake, and it seemed like Blake hadn't informed her that she still had feelings for her. Sun couldn't just leave, knowing that the two were still in an awkward situation which would hinder Blake from properly giving Yang the love that she deserved.

"It looks like that I can't leave just yet" Sun declared.

"Why? No one's holding you back" Blake replied with no idea on what Sun had in mind.

"You still haven't told her, haven't you?"

The small break that Blake proposed had been put on hold because of Sun's sudden arrival, and it looked like things were about to develop even further between the complicated love triangle that the three of them were in.

"What do you mean I haven't told her?" Blake spoke, now in a flustered manner.

"You're really that scared to show your true feelings huh"

"Now you're just speaking nonsense. Just go back to your dorm and have a goodnight!"

Blake tried to slam the door on Sun but his reflexes were too quick for him to fall for it. He managed to jam his foot on the frame of the door to prevent Blake from pushing it any further. In one strong push, Sun had managed to force his way into their room while Blake was powerless to do anything about it.

"I need to do something about this before I can get a good night's rest"

"Ruby, Weiss, do you mind holding Blake's bag for me?" Sun asked the two girls.

"Sure, I guess" Ruby took the bag even though she had no idea on what had just happened.

Blake sat on the floor because she was pushed back by Sun as she tried to close the door on him. She had absolutely no idea what crazy plan Sun had on his mind, but she didn't have any time to deal with it because she had more pressing matters to attend to such as sorting things out with Yang. The now flustered and annoyed girl was about to give Sun a big mouthful and ask him to leave, but a pair of two hands had picked her up from the ground and before she knew it, Sun had carried her over his shoulders.

"Sun, this is not funny anymore!" Blake screamed as she tried to fight back against Sun.

"If you're going to be stubborn, then I have to play rough to get you two back on track"

As he carried Blake, Sun walked over to Yang who was wide-eyed on the show that unfolded right before her. To her surprise, Sun shoved her and she landed on the bed because of it. She was just about to stand up and beat their unruly guest up even though she had just given him a bad injury. But before she could do so, Sun threw Blake right on top of her.

In a shocking sequence of events, Blake had ended up on top of Yang's body as they both stared at each other eye to eye. They didn't expect to be this close to each other and it was safe to say that the two of them had trouble containing themselves because of the red cheeks that their faces had.

Blake tried to prompt herself up from being on top of Yang but she felt Sun's hand pressing her even further down which prevented her from furthering her distance from Yang.

"Sun, why are you doing this?!" Blake desperately asked Sun for a reason to his actions.

"Come on, I know that you want to say something but you just can't muster up the courage to do so. Consider this a helping hand"

"What do you mean that she had something to say? She already told us about you two, there's nothing more to say" Yang responded to what Sun said.

"Yang don't worry, she still has something to say that will cheer you back up" Sun tried to assure her.

"She can't say anything that will make me happy alright. You two love each other and I can't do anything about it, are you happy now?!" Yang had now started to yell at Sun to get her point across.

"You hear that Blake, do you really want Yang to give up now even though she still doesn't know how you really feel?"

Both Blake and Yang had fallen into a stumped silence. Blake realized what Sun had tried to push her on doing while Yang became somewhat nervous and in a small way, hopeful on what Blake had to say to her which Sun tried to enforce on her.

"Yang, he's right. I still have something to say to you and looking back on it now, it should have been the first thing that I told you right when we started"

Ruby and Weiss leaned closer to the commotion that Sun had caused, they were fully invested on the happenings between both Blake and Yang and this was the make or break moment on whether or not the two have a shot in being together again.

"Go on Blake, I think Yang's a little bit more willing to listen now" Sun urged Blake to go further.

Sweat had bathed Blake's face because of the pressure that she was put under and she wasn't in the proper mental state to be confronting Yang like this. It didn't help that she needed Sun to coax her into it while both Ruby and Weiss watched behind the scenes with their prying eyes. There was no more stalling and playing around and she decided to get it over with to avoid any more misunderstandings between her and Yang, and to finally get rid of Sun who orchestrated the whole thing.

"Yang, I love you. I know it's weird and confusing, but I always loved you"

Yang's heart had kicked into overdrive and her ears were now flooded by open thoughts as her mind tried to process the two unthinkable words that she never thought that she would hear again from Blake. The blush on her face could now be compared to the red eyes that she had whenever she activated her semblance and it continued to grow by the second. She wanted to say something back to Blake to make sure that she wasn't joking around. But instead of asking her questions, her instincts took full control of her and answered back with something that she was meaning to say to Blake for a very long time now.

"I love you too..." Yang replied softly as she stared at Blake's eyes.

Sun still kept his hand on Blake's hand but he removed the pressure that he added onto it earlier when he tried to keep Blake in place. He was now fully satisfied upon hearing those words come out of both Blake and Yang's lips and he was just about to set Blake free. But his hand felt Blake, slowly inching downwards towards Yang and upon feeling that, Sun already knew what the two were about to do.

"Okay, I think that settles it for the night!" Sun screamed loudly to interrupt the two much to their dismay.

"OH COME ON! We were just about to get to the good part!" Ruby complained.

"You know for a guy who knows how to set a mood, you're also good at breaking it" Blake said as she glared at Sun.

"Hey, I didn't want to do it, but you can't be smooching when I'm here and while these two are watching"

To everyone's disappointment, both Blake and Yang stood up from the bed while Sun approached the door to see himself out for the night. His mission was complete and it was time for him to head back home.

"Sun, your Blake's boyfriend, right?" Yang asked before Sun could leave.

"You could say that"

"Then why go through all this trouble? Are you happy that even though she's with you, she has feelings for someone else?"

"I know that I love her and I know that she loves me. That's all I want plain and simple. I also know that she loves you and you love her, I just managed to be with her first that's all"

"You still want to do this even though you can lose her, isn't that kind of stupid?"

Sun took a second before he replied. He knew that Yang made a good point and in the past, even he questioned himself why he was risking everything that he had just to make Blake happy. But his mind could never be clouded after the talk that he had with Blake and his morals just couldn't ignore the need of both Blake and Yang to spend their time to the fullest.

"I know that it's stupid. But we do stupid things to keep those we love happy, right?" Sun answered back.

Blake felt a sudden burst of admiration towards Sun. Amidst all of the trouble that Sun had to go through just to back up Blake every step of the way, she couldn't believe that he was still coming through for her even though it may have been against his own best interest. The amount of debt that she had amassed for Sun was so big at that point that she didn't even know how she could repay him even in the slightest. But even so, Blake wanted to do something special for him when she would have a chance. The only problem is that she hadn't thought of anything for the time being.

"Well, I'm beat. Sorry for causing a ruckus and bothering you guys at this time. I just wanted to lend a helping hand and if you don't mind, I'll let myself out" Sun bade them farewell.

"Sun!" Blake called out to him which immediately caught Sun's attention before he could leave.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything"

The small message of thanks that Blake gave him had managed to put an even wider smile on Sun's face. Even Yang felt the sudden urge to thank Sun for doing something as selfless as what he did, and for trying to halt her rampage from earlier.

"Hey Sun, I just wanted to say thank you as well. You know, for doing this. I also need to say sorry as well, for taking a shot from me earlier" Yang included on top of Blake's farewell.

In response, Sun waved his hand goodbye and closed the door behind him as he went outside of the room. Knowing that the coast was clear and that he had time to breath, Sun finally gave in to his nervousness as he took the time to lean back on the wall that was beside the door and catch his breath for a few seconds. He had to be strong around Blake and Yang to make them feel more confident about themselves and push their emotions to its brink. However, what he did was a very risky move in terms of what it could mean to his relationship with Blake. Sun knew that Blake loved him and all, but could it really be possible for him to juggle her feelings between him and Yang.

Even so, Sun couldn't remove the smile on his face even though he may have to face the fact that he took a step back in terms of his relationship with Blake. A large part of him felt satisfied and accomplished that he was able to do something to make the two of them happy and put them in the right track in reconnecting again, even if in a romantic way. But even if he did make Yang and Blake more open to express their love for each other, Sun had no intention of giving up what he had with Blake. This was his way of playing fair with Yang and she wanted her to have a chance to be happy herself.

Tired, hurting, and exhilarated all at the same time, Sun felt determined more than ever before to finally enjoy a complete night's worth of sleep. It would be a peaceful and undisturbed rest, as Sun knew that he would be sleeping with a small victory for that night.

* * *

 **I haven't posted this in a LONG time and I'm very sorry for the delay. I just didn't feel like writing for a short while and I've just recently picked it up recently. I had this chapter sitting for at least a few weeks now and I continued work on it a week ago.**

 **I'd like to know if there's a dip in quality in between chapters just so I can review this one and check on some areas that I could have worked better on. To be honest, I feel rusty as hell and it will take some work to get me back on track on how I used to write.**

 **One more problem to address is that I resume school next week so that will take a HUGE toll on my schedule. If possible, I want to work double time during weekends to work consistently on this story so I hope that you guys can be more patient when it comes to releases (even though this is a month late)**

 **Anyways, reviews are always appreciated and thank you for taking your time to read this chapter. See you next time!**


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